South Shuswap Scoop January 2022

CSRD Directors Express Concerns to School District

The Director’s Scoop - News of Note from the CSRD Paul Demenok Director, Electoral Area C (South Shuswap) Cell: 250-517-0810

At the December 9, 2021 CSRD Board Meeting, School District (SD) 83 Superintendent Donna Kriger and Secretary-Treasurer Dale Culler attended to hear concerns from several CSRD Directors about recent decisions made by the SD Board as part of its Long Range Facilities Plan. The concerns expressed primarily by Area F Director Jay Simpson and myself related to the decision by SD 83 to go with 2 high schools in Salmon Arm before constructing a new high school in Sorrento. Our concerns about this decision are:

1. This decision is unfair to the taxpayers of Areas C and F - In 2021, $9,236,573 in Provincial School Taxes were collected in CSRD Areas C and F while the City of Salmon Arm contributed $8,896,640, a difference of $339,933. In Areas C and F there are 2 elementary schools and 1 middle school, while in Salmon Arm there are 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 2 alternate schools and 2 high school campuses. Put simply, we aren’t receiving the same educational services and infrastructure for our tax dollars as compared to other communities within SD 83.

2. More importantly, this decision is unfair to the children of Areas C and F - We have children riding school buses up to 3 hours per day. That’s horrible. Spending this amount of time on buses hinders participation in extra-curricular activities and supplemental educational programming. It can have adverse effects on school performance and graduation rates, and it is less safe. Imagine spending 22 days per year riding a bus.

3. The process used to reach this decision was flawed - The option to go with 2 high schools in Salmon Arm was never a part of the community consultation process used to develop the Long Range Facilities Plan. It was brought in as a new option after the consultation was completed, and therefore was never subjected to an appropriate process of public scrutiny and input. We understand that an ad hoc survey of students demonstrated strong opposition to this option. Many teachers have also expressed opposition to this option, so we question how can this decision, affecting the lives of many students and families, be put forward as addressing our needs when there is no demonstrated support from the community and considerable opposition?

4. The decision itself is flawed - Currently the Jackson and Sullivan campuses split the high school population into grades 9-10 in one facility and 11-12 in the other. Converting these facilities to 2 separate high schools, which are only about 1 km apart as the crow flies, doesn’t actually add in any additional capacity to address longer-term needs due to enrollment growth. In addition, data used in the consultant’s report significantly underrepresented the actual population for Sorrento-Blind Bay as per the 2016 Canada Census. Note that the 2021 Census data is due to be released starting on February 9th; would it make sense to utilize more current data when making this sort of decision?

5. We understand that enrollment at a new high school in Sorrento would be larger than 2 of 4 current high schools in SD 83 - If this is true, why is the North and South Shuswap being so under-serviced? Let’s appreciate that the combined population of the North and South Shuswap is well over 10,000 people, which makes this area much larger than many communities in BC that already have high schools.

6. The decision will set back the development of a Sorrento High School for many years - While a Sorrento High School remains in the Long Range Facilities Plan, it’s obvious that creating 2 high schools in Salmon Arm would set back a high school in Sorrento for many years, if not decades. It appears to us that the SD 83 Board is not seriously considering a Sorrento High School option. No work has been initiated to identify potential locations and the consultation process with local government, as prescribed by the Ministry of Education has yet to be implemented.

7. Implementation of this option will create further and significant inequities - The Jackson campus is much older and less well-equipped than the Sullivan campus. If indigenous students and those from the outlying areas are assigned to the Jackson campus, are we not setting up a highly visible have vs have-not scenario? What impact will this have on the social fabric of a small city and the surrounding rural areas? On what basis will children be assigned to one campus vs the other? In view of all of these concerns, I think the SD 83 Board should totally reconsider its decision and should initiate a new process of community consultation focused on a Sorrento High School option.

I would also encourage all parents of school-aged children and the Parental Advisory Councils for our schools in the North and South Shuswap to let the SD 83 Board know your feelings and opinions about a new high school in Sorrento.