Five options have been drafted for consideration as School District 83 continues to review configuration of Salmon Arm schools.
At the April 16 board meeting, Supt. Donna Kriger presented a comprehensive report of the five different scenarios, originally drafted a few years ago when reconfiguration first came up for consideration.
With the current model, there are k-5 elementary schools, a Grade 6-8 middle school, 9-10 secondary and 11-12 senior secondary. As Kriger has previously presented information stating that numerous school transitions negatively impact students, she’d like to see that reduced.
In 2021, the board adopted in principle the E5 option that would have k-5, a 6-8 middle school and two 9-12 secondary schools.
“The E5 Option remains a very viable option for reconfiguration and reduces the number of transitions by one. It results in the least disruption across the Salmon Arm area,” Kriger said in the report, adding it could require some boundary changes and the need for more portables. “What this model does not address from an educational standpoint is maintaining a very large middle school… It is not ideal for extracurricular activities and does not provide the same level of student leadership in a k-5 model as that which could exist in a k-7 model.”
The E3 option had the greatest level of support, according to a staff survey from early March, that would have k-7 elementary schools, including one French immersion, and two 8-12 secondaries. It also has an alternate plan of creating three secondary schools. Kriger did, however, point out some issues both would present.
“Though adopting E3 would relieve elementary school enrolment pressures, it would result in the two secondary campuses being over capacity,” she said. “The variation to E3 as presented would create pressure on elementary school numbers and… might also reduce secondary student numbers to a degree where the variation of classes and number of blocks could be significantly impacted.”
The other options included k-6 elementaries and three 7-12 secondaries, and k-6 elementaries, two 7-9 middle schools and one 10-12 secondary.
Discussions and consultations will continue, with future meetings for rights-holders, parent advisory committees, parents and other stakeholders scheduled during April and into May. Once all the information is collected, the board will consider the impact on students, strategic plan priorities, public feedback and financial implications in making a decision.
Further information can be found on the district website at www.sd83.bc.ca, with the different options outlines in the April 16 agenda.
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