School Closures

In 2011, School District 39 has lost another 700 students, the equivalent of one elementary school.

As this pattern continues, more and more of our 109 schools are operating to support a fraction of their total capacity.

Measures to generate additional revenues from these schools are only masking the problem: the overhead of running an entire school is being put in place to educate a fraction of a school.

Inevitably, a school will need to be closed.

With 109 schools strategically located throughout the city, most schools are within walking distance of a neighbouring school.

Students, staff and programs can all be shifted to another school, and money saved by deferring the seismic upgrading project of a closed school can be used to upgrade a school that is actually full of children.

Of course there will be hardships and annoyances for the students, parents and staff of a closed school. It will mean a greater distance for some students to walk to their new school. Friends and teachers may end up at different schools. Change is an inevitable fact of life. When a student finishes Elementary School, they will have to leave their old school and move to a new Secondary School. When a family moves, the children have to move to a new school.

Students changing schools is a regular occurrence, and avoiding change should not be a reason to spend taxpayers money to keep open an underpopulated school.