Ecole Westview School to close in 2011 as School District 52 completes its closure debate

After months of consultations and discussion, School District 52 trustees made their final decision on Tuesday night as to which of Prince Rupert's elementary schools would be closed.

Citing the impact of dramatic enrollment decline and the financial challenges facing the school district at this time, Tina Last, the Chair of the Board of Education, explained the decisions that led to the decision to close Ecole Westview School on the city's west side.

 The details of the decision were provided in a press release posted to the School District 52 website on Wednesday. The decision means that Westview will remain open for one more year, with the French Immersion program transfering to Roosevelt School in 2011-2012. The remainder of Westview's students will then transfer over to Pineridge in that school year as well.

The fate of Port Edward school will remain up for debate for another three to six months, as the School District and the District of Port Edward conduct further discussion on the options for schooling in Port Edward. That community has recently completed its own study on the issue, and it's expected that those findings will make up a good portion of those discussions.

The closure of Westview, completes for now a cycle of closures in the School District over the last few years, which saw east side schools Seal Cove and Kanata closed two years ago and the decision to close Prince Rupert Secondary School previously announced for 2011-2012, merging the two high schools at Charles Hays and creating a middle school program for grades 6-8 on the site of the current Prince Rupert Secondary School. (Archive items here and here)

The restructuring program will begin in 2011, with the remaining elementary schools in the system K-5, a middle school and Charles Hays Secondary School as well as the Pacific Coast School all part of the School District flow chart. With this final phase of the review of education in the District now complete, the School District will move forward with its five year Capital plan and seek out funding for the construction of a new facility to serve as the middle school.

The entire process of reconfiguration and closure has been an emotional roller coaster for many parents, students, teachers and administrators, in the press release the School District offered up the reasoning that these changes have been moved forward so as to  enhance the educational outcomes of the students of our community - not just for today but for the future.

And while the School District moves ahead with its blue print, there is no doubt much disappointment in many areas of the city over the loss of their community schools, that played large roles in neighbourhoods across the city. The middle school option which  seemed to be the preferred choice of this School District from the outset has not been universally accepted by all as a desired solution, and by its creation the feeder schools loose their grade six students which for some parents was something that they had wished to avoid.

Still to be heard as well will be how many if any staffing changes take place within the District owing to the closures and reconfiguration plans ahead.

While the School District Chair makes mention of the financial challenges facing the community due to the population decline, not lost on parents and taxpayers are some controversial hirings and departures of the past few years, which saw some consultants bills and employee payouts come to pass during this most financially dangerous moment for the School District. Much of that period of time and those intriguing events passed without explanation from the School District, a move that left a fair amount of room for cynicism over recent decisions and directions.

They are all items of interest that we are sure that will continue to dominate the debate as the School District moves forward towards its new design for education in Prince Rupert. While Tuesday night's decision, may indeed bring closure to the process of configuration, we're not so sure that the debate over education in the city will be at an end any time soon.

Daily News-- With Heavy hearts, Board closes Westview 
CFTK-- Prince Rupert's Ecole Westview To Close in 2011

Reviewing the "unavoidable consequences of consolidation"

Thursday night’s public meeting of school District 52 at Charles Hays was a lively affair, with the senior staff of the school district on the hot seat and having to explain a number of recent proposals for school closures in the city.

Earlier this year it was announced that Seal Cove and Kanata schools were the most likely candidates for closure, that potential list was expanded in the recent weeks to include Westview and potentially Port Edward school as well.

With over 100 written and oral questions on the night, school officials were provided with more than enough feedback to get a sense of the public’s concern over their plans.

Of particular interest and provided for more than a fair bit of anxiety among parents seems to be what has been called Scenario 10, a controversial plan that would see the Westview school close and the French Immersion program currently in place there transferred to Roosevelt School.

Should that scenario come to pass, the French Immersion program would take up five of the schools 18 classrooms, if the current enrollment in the program held. A possibility that may not be that strong, if rumours of a widespread withdrawal by parents of the program takes place.
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One question submitted on Thursday, pondered that possibility of student transfers out of the program and asked for the absolute final number required before the entire program had to be cancelled. The answer provided, was that the program would be terminated if there were less than 10 students enrolled, or if three grade splits became necessary to keep the program operating.

Parents also inquired as to the School District’s intentions as far as transportation to and from school went, with discussion about a proposed bus service and what were and were not the School District’s responsibilities in providing transportation to the schools.

One other issue of interest to parents was the new catchment boundaries that were designed and revealed for the first time, dividing the city up into four areas, a change that will have some parents checking their borders to see where their children will heading to school for come September.

The School District next meets on March 11, when trustees will hold a third reading on the fate of Seal Cove and Kanata schools, at that meeting the District members will also have the opportunity to put their research of the people from last Thursday night to work, as they formally respond to the District Visioning Committee and school staff recommendations.

The Daily News featured a full report on the night’s activities with a front page story in Monday’s paper.

SCHOOL DISTRICT STAFF EXPLAIN REASONING BEHIND CLOSURES
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Monday, March 03, 2008

Senior staff from School District 52 had a lot of explaining to do at Thursday evening's 'town hall' meeting where members of the public posed more than 100 written and oral questions to the three administrators regarding details of the proposed 'Scenario 10' school closures.

A large portion of questions centered around the French Immersion program currently at Westview, and what it would look like if relocated to Roosevelt. The district staff said they would make their best effort to ensure as much of Westview's French library resources were relocated. They also said staffing formulas would only change to represent the 25 per cent of students at Roosevelt who would be in the FI program, which would use five of 18 classrooms based on current enrollment numbers.

One written submission brought up a rumour that many parents of FI students would pull their students out of the program if it moved to Roosevelt, and senior staff were asked what the threshold was before the program would be terminated. Staff responded that the FI program would be terminated if class sizes fell below 10 students or if three-grade splits became necessary.

The district also recognized that gymnasium and library access at Pineridge, Roosevelt, Lax Kxeen and Conrad would suffer with the expected influx of students that would follow if Westview, Seal Cove and Kanata were closed, but said that was one of the unavoidable consequences of consolidation.

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Concerns that schools including Roosevelt and Conrad would lose current programs as a result of more students being enrolled were dispelled by the senior staff, claiming all programs would continue, with the possibility that some may be strengthened and that there could be an introduction of specialty programs.

The district's plan to accommodate some students with a bus service also came up, and some parents asked if students who miss the morning bus or with extra-curricular activities after school would be transported.

Superintendent Mercer quickly dismissed the notion that the district had such an extended responsibility to transportation, but did say that the district would partner with the city to address sidewalk and crosswalk safety. When the issue of Westview Child Care was risen, district staff also clarified they did not have a responsibility to accommodate the business, but that busses may be able stop at or near the childcare centre.

A preliminary draft of new catchment areas was also handed out to the public at the town hall meeting, which the district stressed was in no way finalized and are open to discussion.

The draft plan divides the city of Prince Rupert neatly into four catchment blocks, each spanning from the waterfront to the Eastern edge of city limits. The Pineridge catchment would include everyone South of McKay Street and the Second Avenue Bridge. Roosevelt catchment would include all students between McKay Street and McBride Street, and Lax Kxeen catchment would be the area north of McBride Street to Conrad Street. The Conrad/Lax Kxeen catchment boundary would then cut down Seventh Avenue to Donald Street, up Sixth Avenue East to Pigott Place, dividing Pigott Avenue and Overlook Street at the 1400 block. Everything North of this line, including Victoria Avenue and Crestview Drive would all fall into the Conrad catchment.

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School District 52 trustees will meet for their regular board meeting on Tues., March 11, where Seal Cove and Kanata schools will be given a third reading and trustees will have a chance to formally respond to the District Visioning Committee and district senior staff's recommendations.

School District elects new chair, but many concerned about potential empty chairs to come

School District 52 trustees elected their chair for 2008 this past week, but the dominant issue of their first meeting of the year was the potential closure of Westview school, a recent addition to the School District's closure list.

When the District Visioning Committee's Interim Report was introduced to the meeting, the temperature of debate rose a bit as trustees expressed their disappointment that key portions of it had been released into the press in December, before they had a chance to even receive the report.

The interim recommendations of the DVC are that Seal Cove and Kanata Elementary schools should close at the completion of this current school year, while Westview would have one more calendar year before it faced the same fate.

While not the only issue addressed by the District Visioning Committee the topic of school closures is of course the one that affects the population the most and receives the most attention. With the timetable for debate on the issue of school closures rather tight, School trustees are concerned about receiving the final report and then meeting with the public in a timely and effective manner.

The Daily News examined the situation in Friday's paper.

Trustees take delivery of report calling for closures
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Friday, January 18, 2008

Pages one and three

Tuesday night's school board meeting saw the election of a new chair but most of the debate on the evening centered around the District Visioning Committee and its recommendation to close Westview school.

With trustee Brian Johnson available to cast his vote by phone, Tina Last was re-elected to board chair with four votes ahead of Russell Wiens who received three. Janet Mirau was nominated for the position of vice chair and voted in unopposed, and the rest of the voting and appointment process ran just a smoothly, wrapping up without incident.

It wasn't until Superintendent Eric Mercer delivered the District Visioning Committee's Interim Report to the board that things heated up and trustees began voicing their concerns.
Some members of the board were upset that the recommendations of the interim report were revealed to the public in late December - before the board had officially received it.

"The interim report was very public long before we ever got to meet as a group, and it wasn't very nice press," said Wiens. "The press being what they are, it was sensational and very disruptive, and scary for parents, and I wouldn't want to see that happen again."

While The Daily News used the word "unanimous" to describe the DVC's recommendations to close Seal Cove, Kanata and Westview, everything reported in the Dec. 21 article was an exact reflection of what was contained in the DVC's interim report presented to the board.

The interim recommendations of the DVC call for the board to "immediately pass a motion that all three school closures [Seal Cove, Kanata and Westview] be approved within the 2007-08 school year," with Seal Cove and Kanata closing as of June 2008 and Westview closing in June 2009.

The interim report states the DVC's goal is "to replace one and eventually several of our existing elementary buildings with new facilities," and that the group wishes its plan be expressed as "an educational growth and renewal plan rather than simply a school closure plan."

In addition to the closure of three elementary schools, the DVC is also suggesting that the school district staff, including those in the board office, Wap Sigatgyet and the resource centre be relocated to the Booth site or another surplus school/district site.

And the DVC is recommending that transportation services be developed for families adversely impacted by these changes, and that any district savings be used to enhance current programming.

Also included in the report is the suggestion that the board explore the possibility of making timetable shifts at Charles Hays Secondary School or other options that would support the renewal and/or rebuilding of the Prince Rupert Secondary School facility.

"As the chair, I would expect the board to react to this, and perhaps have questions and input for the DVC, not in an attempt to influence their decision-making but certainly to give some reaction," said Mercer.

"Now that the board is party to it, I think comment on it is prudent."

Trustees then wondered what the process was now that the interim report had been received, as the recommendations made are similar to the direction the board had already been proceeding last year.

The issue of the DVC operating under a tight timeline was also raised by the board, which was concerned with being able to receive the final report and engage with the public before their March 11 meeting, where school closures will be on the table.

Merry Christmas, and oh by the way, save some boxes for packing!

Oh it's never nice when someone decides to ruin the Christmas party. The eggnog has gone bad, the shortbread cookies have gone hard and the tree has toppled as the prospect of school closures intrudes on the festive season.

In what is just some very strange timing, The District Visioning Committee of School District 52 decided to jump into the Christmas spirit with an updated list of schools to be closed in order to meet the goal of 85 per cent capacity in the other schools of the district.

Wednesday’s newsletter to parents of Westview students added the extra bit of news that in 2009 Ecole Westview may be no more as well, as the Committe prepares to release its interim report in January over the issue.

The Committee added Westview to the list that includes Seal Cove and Kanata schools, both of which could be closed for the 2008-09 school year.

While there is no doubt a need for debate on the issue of school closures, the timing of the topic surely leaves a lot to be desired. While students, parents, teachers and staff all head off for a two week break, no visions of sugar plums will dance in their heads, rather the idea of where they'll be going to school in a year or so will now be right up there with the Christmas carols, tinsel and presents.

Man oh man, somebody is going to get a lump of coal on Monday night we suspect.

The Daily News had full details on the issue, which will prove to be an emotional and controversial bit of work for the School District in 2008. The story was the front page lead in Friday’s paper.

Closure spectre looms for parents of Westview kids
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Friday, December 21, 2007

Westview Elementary, one of School District 52's top performing schools is being recommended for closure in 2009.

A letter sent home to Westview parents Wednesday announced Westview had been added as the third District 52 school to face the possibility of closure by September 2009. The District Visioning Committee (DVC), comprised of various stakeholders and charged with the task of exploring all aspects of District 52, unanimously decided three schools should be closed in order to reach the goal of 85 per cent capacity in the district's other schools.

The news of the DVC's recommendation comes much earlier than the official release of their interim report, which will be given to the District 52 school board on Jan. 15 for inclusion in the board's scheduled monthly meeting. As this is only a recommendation to be included in the interim report, the District Visioning Committee has made it clear this does not mean that Westview school is closing, merely that the DVC presently sees it as the best option for the district.

"The decision to close three schools over two school years was not made without major consultation from various interest groups," said District Parent Advisory Council (D-PAC) representatives Kim Goffic and Terri-Lynne Huddlestone in their letter to Westview parents.
"Most groups initially came to the table with trepidation and with the intention of protecting their individual interest group. Upon seeing the overwhelming evidence provided to us by various groups, we all came to the conclusion changes needed to be made."

The timeline for the three recommended closures could see Kanata and Seal Cove closed as of September 2008, and Westview closed by September 2009. Whether the recommendations will still be included in the DVC's final report to the school board in March remains to be seen. However, even if these recommendations are presented to the board, they would require a consultation process and approval process before a school closure could happen.

As D-PAC representatives on the DVC, Goffic and Huddlestone explained in their letter that there is no question Prince Rupert schools are in "desperate need of major repair or replacement", and that the Ministry of Education will not even consider District 52 for funding for repairs or new schools until schools in the district reach or exceed 85 per cent capacity.

"The short-term sacrifices will be long term gains for the students and staff in this district. New schools, new equipment and desperately needed supplies will all be available to all," said the D-PAC letter to parents.

"This is a time for renewal. It should be a time of excitement for all of us. Restructuring is always unsettling but also a time to right things that can be righted."

In addition to the closure of three district schools, the DVC's interim report will recommend that all district staff, including the school board office, resource centre and First Nations Centre, move into the Booth building. It will also be recommended that any money saved be put back into enhancing student achievement in the district.

District 52 staff and trustees were unable to speak to the DVC interim report until it has been officially received at their regular board meeting scheduled for Tues., Jan. 15.