The proposal by School District 53 to move Grade 4 students from Cawston Primary School to Similkameen Elementary Secondary School has been taken off the table.
“We have over 40 per cent of the children who come into Kindergarten that are at risk. Many of those children need that extra primary year to bring them up to a level where they can be successful at intermediate school,” said Similkameen trustee Myrna Coates at Wednesday’s school board meeting.
Trustees unanimously agreed to remove the option as a way to help reduce their proposed deficit. School District 53 is in a budget crisis brought by Ministry of Education cutbacks. Currently they receive $875,843 of funding protection from the government, but the Ministry signaled to districts that funding would be removed — likely over a period of three years. A capital plan proposal estimates the savings of moving the Cawston Grade 4 students at $70,000.
“While potentially we could save $70,000, the likelihood of that really happening is very remote because for sure we would have to increase administration to support Grades 4 to 7,” said chairperson June Harrington.
The board agreed with Keremeos trustee Debbie Marten that Grade 4’s need the extra nurturing, foundation skills, academic and social skills that they receive at Cawston school.
“A lot of those kids that might be eight or nine years old are emotionally maybe six of seven years old. They just wouldn’t function and just fall having to go up to that other school, especially because there isn’t an elementary specialist there. That is really concerning to me for the Grades 5,6 and 7, but that is a different component,” said Marten.
Also taken off as an option for the board to cut its deficit is the closing of Osoyoos Secondary School, which would have saved them an estimated $725,088.
“I do not think at this stage education and economic benefits are going to outweigh the negative benefits it will have on our town and to our students if we close that school,” said Osoyoos trustee Marieze Tarr. “I believe we have to, with some urgency, find some solution to work with the town.”
While the school is safe from closure now, it does not mean the issue won’t be back in front of the trustees at the next budget.
“I think it is up to everybody here to pay attention to the red bouncing ball and start working together to see what we can do over this declining enrollment because I think it is in gear and it is going to keep happening. It is up to the town council, the parents and the school trustees to make sure we don’t have to repeat this two years from now,” said Osoyoos Mayor Stu Wells.
The board has decided to move forward on proposals to close Tuc El Nuit elementary school and amalgamate the students with Oliver Elementary School by June 2012.
“This option is the least painful,” said Oliver trustee Michael Petersen.
The board also is moving forward with finding a solution to re-locate the Osoyoos YouLearn.ca program.