The first round of District Design 2013 public consultation forums have now all concluded.
Below you will find a sampling of some of the common questions and comments raised at the forums, with accompanying explanations.
Declining enrolment, is it consistent across the school district?
Enrolment decline hits in different pockets of the district and different grade levels in an inconsistent manner. The most dramatic being at Grand Forks Secondary School, where we have lost 187 students since 2006. Also since 2006, the west end of the district has declined by eight per cent and the east by 18 per cent. Overall, there has been a decline of 32 per cent since 2001 to the present.
What are the negative impacts of a middle school model?
There appears to be a positive for every negative in the research done on middle schools. Some say that there are too many transitions periods, from elementary to middle to secondary. Others say it is beneficial for transitions and improves them. Most research indicates that achievement levels are not affected, but is neutral.
In the end, the success of any change is dependant on the people involved, parents, students and staff. That is ultimately what makes the most significant difference.
The classrooms are too small in Midway Elementary and the bathrooms in the elementary schools have smaller toilets and counter heights.
We physically measured the classrooms at both Perley and Midway Elementary schools. Perley classrooms (68.89m²) are slightly smaller than the Midway (69.84m²) classrooms. Often an elementary classroom appears smaller and crowded because of the “extra stuff” in the room that provides an enriched learning environment for young students. Comparatively an average secondary school classroom is (67m²- to 78m²-)
On to the bathrooms and toilets. All toilets in the district are standard size. There are not smaller toilets in the elementary schools. Some might be a different model or style, but all are standard. Counter height is all essentially the same except for Greenwood elementary, where for some reason the counters in the bathrooms are lower.
What about sports?
Concerns about the loss of competition between schools if we go to a middle school concept are valid and real. The current reality is that because of the cost of busing and smaller student numbers, competition between schools has already been challenged. Elementary schools have gone to play days, to allow students a full day of competition with all elementary schools involved.
Intramural sports programs within a middle school could be a solution, they could encourage more participation and play days would continue. There is a real concern about the size of the gym at Midway elementary, it is one-third smaller than most other elementary school gyms. Utilizing the gym at Boundary Central Secondary School is a possibility.
The board strongly believes in the value and worth of our small community schools. The board did enter into public consultation with the Beaverdell community about the potential closure of their school a few years ago, when it looked like the enrolment was going to hit five students.
More common questions and comments will be addressed next week. Please check the district website at www.sd51.bc.ca for more information.
– Teresa Rezansoff is chair for School District 51’s board of education