The Central Okanagan school board has adopted a grade reconfiguration plan for Westside schools that will take effect in September.

School board chair Moyra Baxter and Lake Country trustee Deborah Butler voted against the controversial measure, saying more time is needed to study the impact on parents, students and the long-term planning implications for Westside schools.

When discussed at public meetings and the school board committee level in January, the timeline for the switch was set at September 2019. But in February at the planning facilities committee meeting, that timeline was moved up to September 2018.

Baxter said the resolution only has been discussed at the board level once, at Wednesday91裸聊视频檚 board meeting, and trustees were being put in a position to vote while still asking many questions about the potential impact.

91裸聊视频淚 feel we are being extremely short sighted here, in making a decision with short-term gain by supporting this resolution that may result in extreme long-term pain,91裸聊视频� she said.

Baxter was referring in part to similar grade reconfiguration also adopted by the board at Wednesday91裸聊视频檚 meeting for Lake Country as of September 2021 (middle school Grades 6-8, secondary Grades 9-12) and Mission area as of September 2019 (middle school Grades 6-8, secondary Grades 9-12).

Related: Westside parents prepare response

In both cases, those two areas have new middle schools coming on stream to address the grade realignments.

For Westside, the reconfiguration trigger point of September 2018 will see Grades 6-8 at Neil Bruce Middle School, Grades 6 to 9 at Glenrosa Middle School and 9 to 12 at Mount Boucherie.

And while a need has been identified for a new secondary school for the Westside, no provincial funding commitment has been made yet.

School district superintendent/CEO Kevin Kaardal acknowledged the move is a short-term measure to address exploding enrolment in Westside schools, acknowledging that MBSS will be beyond capacity, even with the proposed addition of up to 17 portables, by 2025.

91裸聊视频淲ithout a new school, the school board at that time will face a decision of how to go forward,91裸聊视频� he said.

He added that in starting the incremental buildup of portables now, it will help spread the cost impact over several years, which for Westside portable additions next year will be $1 million.

Other school trustees voting in favour of the move cited the financial implications of maintaining the status quo as enrolment continues to increase.

Related: New school impacts Lake Country grade reconfiguration

Trustee Chris Gorman said he agonized over the decision, caught between the potential impact on students and parents and fiscal pressures facing the school board.

91裸聊视频淚 was up until 4 a.m. last night thinking about this. I realize that timing is an issue but if we wait until 2019 we can91裸聊视频檛 say what the cost implications will be and how that might affect school programs and services,91裸聊视频� Gorman said.

He said other costs before the board will include a new provincial payroll tax that will add up to $1.87 million to the budget, money that must come from the operational side, and pending fallout from the Canada Supreme Court decision in favour of teachers on classroom size composition.

Trustee Julia Fraser, who represents the Westside on the board, also spoke in favour of the resolution.

91裸聊视频淚t doesn91裸聊视频檛 matter what year we implement this, parents will say the Grade 5 kids aren91裸聊视频檛 ready to go to middle school in Grade 6,91裸聊视频� Fraser said.

Fraser talked about her own daughter and adjustments she has had to make in the wake of a personal tragedy, the loss of a family member, at times having to stop and collect herself and fight back the tears.

91裸聊视频淪ometimes the anxieties that parents feel get passed on to our kids, and we forget that kids are very resourceful and that there is a lot of help available to help those kids who might struggle with a change like this,91裸聊视频� she said.

Trustee Lee Mossman said as a trustee, he is empowered to act in the best interests of all Central Okanagan School District students. 91裸聊视频淭he cost pressures we face are going to continue. It would kill me if we delayed this a year, the cost implications of doing that means having to cut student programs or services,91裸聊视频� he said.

For Westside parents who attended the meeting, they were collectively upset the board opted to make a decision at this juncture.

Many felt the trustees were not properly informed on the financial implications and enrolment projections, based on the questions trustees were asking of staff while debating the resolution.

91裸聊视频淵ou all failed us 100 per cent. You failed us and you should be ashamed,91裸聊视频� said Sarah Neukomm, a Rose Valley Elementary parent speaking after the resolution was adopted.

Neukomm said the discussion about choosing a name for the new middle school in the Mission was an agenda item at three different school board meetings, whereas the Westside grade reconfiguration resolution was discussed only on Wednesday night.

Parent Matt Whitt questioned the school district91裸聊视频檚 enrolment projections, noting that Mount Boucherie will continue to see growth beyond the five-year projected window for the grade reconfiguration initiative.

What are the contingency plans, he asked, if enrolment projections are off by even 10 per cent in 2022.

91裸聊视频淰oting for this proposal tonight would start the clock ticking on a massive problem at MBSS in 3-5 years. By consolidating capacity constraints at MBSS, this proposal would paint the district into a corner while leaving no options to deal with continued growth. There simply isn91裸聊视频檛 another high school on the Westside to which students can be redirected.91裸聊视频�

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barry.gerding@blackpress.ca
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