It was while they were finalizing the decision to close three schools in the Okanagan Skaha School District that a small voice called out into the quiet of the auditorium.
“You’re doing the wrong thing.”
Judging by the applause from the audience, it was a sentiment shared by many. Emotions ran high throughout the two-hour meeting, with some of the trustees coming close to tears as they worked through 10 options, and settled on closing McNicoll Park Middle School in Penticton, Trout Creek Elementary in Summerland and West Bench Elementary School. Grade levels at other schools will also be adjusted to better accommodate the student population.
All three will close as of July 1, 2016. The school district has faced budget shortfalls for several years and expects to see them for some years into the future until enrolment begins to climb again. In this case, the district is expecting to see a $1.025 million shortfall next year.
Though the three closures are expected to save the school district roughly $1.187 million, board chair Linda van Alphen wasn’t prepared to say whether closing these three schools was enough, or whether the board might have to consider other changes in coming years.
“I am just hoping this is the end of it, but I don’t know because we have declining enrolment and it continues to decline,” said Van Alphen. “I just hope everyone realizes how serious that is.”
Tina Martin hoped that the school board would reconsider, and look at the extensive changes the decision would entail for Summerland students, who will be redistributed among the remaining three schools.
“This option does not make Summerland attractive to new families,” she said. “This is not a change that needs to happen.”
Erick Thompson, the Trout Creek community, wanted to know if the closure could be reversed in the future should the situation change, either through more funding from the province or growing population.
“It is growing down there, we hope that Summerland will grow,” said Thompson. “Once it is closed, is that it for there ever being an elementary school in Trout Creek again?”
The audience began filing into the IMC building, behind the school district offices on Jermyn Avenue, an hour before the scheduled start of the meeting. By 7 p.m., it was standing room only with about 200 people present.
The first option, maintaining the status quo and not closing any schools, was the first to fall. Trustee Bruce Johnson, a retired principal who spent his entire career in this district, was the sole supporter of that option.
He called the last three years some of the most challenging in education in B.C. but said the board was in good financial shape, and should continue the fight to keep the schools open.
“I have been involved with this school district for a long time. I don’t think things are broken,” said Johnson.
He noted that mistakes have been made during the closure process and suggested that the board should take more time, and delay their decision to the next budget process.
“Most importantly, we will do the job we were elected to do, working together for student success,” said Johnson.
Trustee Bill Bidlake, also a former principal, said that the only alternative to closure was to start cutting staff positions, a view shared by board chair Linda van Alphen.
“Having been a trustee for 14 years, I know there is nothing left to pick at,” said van Alphen.
Penticton MLA Dan Ashton was not present at the special school board meeting Wednesday though NDP education critic Rob Fleming came in from Victoria to attend the meeting.
Fleming said that the standing committee on finance, a non-partisan committee chaired by Ashton, has recommended that the government establish stable, secure and adequate multi-year funding for schools.
“The government has ignored those recommendations for three years in a row,” said Fleming. “This year is even worse because we are dealing with $54 million in so-called administrative savings cuts being forced on school districts.”
When she announced the demand for three years of administrative cuts last year, Premier Christy Clark infamously said districts could accomplish it through trimming “low-hanging fruit.”
“What we see in Okanagan Skaha and districts across the province is that there is no such thing as low-hanging fruit,” said Fleming. “Districts have chopped down the fruit trees and used it for firewood.”
Fleming spent the day touring schools and meeting with representatives of parent advisory committees.
“Parents are alarmed that schools that have stable enrolment and positive school cultures are being considered for closures,” he said. “Ultimately, funding decisions which impact cuts that school districts have to make are made by the minister of education and the premier.”
Options that would have eliminated one Penticton high school, including converting Penticton Secondary and KVR Middle schools into a dual-campus high school while Maggie took on middle school status, was universally opposed by the trustees.
“I do believe there should be a two high school system in Penticton,” said van Alphen, though she added that it could come back to the table in the future, should more reconfiguration be needed.
Other trustees suggested re-purposing the schools would be a large and expensive job, and that keeping smaller school populations was beneficial for students.
Closing Giant’s Head Elementary in Summerland, while reconfiguring age ranges at other Summerland schools was also not acceptable. Reasons included the cost of the retrofit and pushing the capacity of the schools in the municipality.
The second Summerland-oriented option, Option I, which would have involved closing Trout Creek Elementary, did get some support, starting with Summerland trustee Janet Planiden.
“I feel that option I is the better option for Summerland,” said Planiden. She believed concentrating students in a central location would be beneficial.
“Everything is in walking distance,” said Planiden, listing facilities like schools, libraries, galleries. “I think that is a rare occurrence in a community.”
Trustees Shelley Clarke and Barb Sheppard also supported option I. Bidlake opposed the Trout Creek option, saying it was added to the list late in the game though it might be a consideration for the future.
Van Alphen said she had struggled with the concept of closing Trout Creek, but added that something had to be done in the area.
“We are down to 75 per cent capacity. There are four schools in Summerland. That would tell anyone that one needs to close,” said van Alphen. “There is nothing that says to me that this isn’t the best option for Summerland.”
“No one can convince me that closing this school is a good thing for our communities. I think this would be a very bad mistake,” said trustee Johnson, closing the debate. “This board, financially, is in excellent shape. I don’t think this is the year to close any schools.”
Closing Giant’s Head Elementary was defeated unanimously, but closing Trout Creek went through with a 5-2 vote.
Closing McNicoll Park Middle School received stronger support from many of the trustees. The school is considered to be running at about 42 per cent of its capacity.
“We have too much capacity for middle schools in Penticton,” said Clarke, while van Alphen repeated that not closing some schools would mean cuts in other areas.
“We are at a stage now, where we don’t want to make any more cuts,” said van Alphen, adding that this process was the end result of a decade of cuts.
Bidlake, who spent a third of his career at McNicoll Park and started his teaching career there, showed his emotion as he agreed that school should be closed. That motion passed 6-1, with only Johnson opposed.
Closing West Bench also brought emotional responses from some of the trustees.
“Aside from the McNicoll decision, I think this was my second most difficult,” said Sheppard, who suggested the school might find a better use as a community centre.
Johnson spoke against the closure of West Bench, saying that two closures are enough.
“We will be fine for now,” said Johnson, adding that the board should now stop looking at money and focus on the students and families at the school.