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Parents in Enderby and Salmon Arm are being urged to attend town hall meetings this week on the future of the school system within District 83.
Millions must be slashed off the district's budgets over the next three years and proposals are on the table to restructure or close a number of schools.
“I am encouraging people to take advantage of the meetings. This is where it begins,” said Chris Coers, Enderby's school board representative. “Hard decisions must be made and I'm hoping, in part, from what we hear (from parents).”
One meeting will take place at the Jackson campus of Salmon Arm Secondary on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. while the other will be held at A.L. Fortune Secondary in Enderby on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m.
More than 200 parents showed up for a town hall session in Armstrong last week.
Coers said she spoke to the parents' advisory council at MV Beattie elementary last week in a regular session but that a lot can be learned at the town halls.
She said a big concern in her community is a proposal to close Grinrod Elementary if M.V. Beattie is converted to K-5 and A.L. Fortune Secondary is reconfigured to a Grade 6-12 school.
“We've already sacrificed a school in our community,” said Coers, pointing to Ashton Creek which closed in 2012 due to low enrollment. “M.V. Beattie is full with 300 students. I don't think 300 elementary seats (in Enderby) in the future is enough.”
However, as a board member, Coers admitted she had to look at the bigger picture too. “We have to do something. We're supporting an infrastructure built around a student population that no longer exists.”
Coers said the board may be forced to trim in other areas, apart from the school reconfiguration. “It may be a mixture of difficult things.”
She also said that each community within the district was so unique that different solutions may have to be found for each one.
A major change could be made in Sicamous where a task force has been delving into a proposal to close one school and have the other made into a kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12).
That report is expected to presented to the board in February.
Coers said a town hall meeting will be held in Sicamous once that report is on the table.
