Ray Wangen and David Burke
Squamish Chief/Whistler Question
The first preliminary meeting between parents and school board officials on the possibility of a school closure for the 2010 Olympics was held on Monday (Feb. 19), giving the public an opportunity to voice their concerns about the proposal.
"I will have three kids in school by the time the Olympics happen, so it's definitely a concern for me," said parent Sylvia Wagner. "I don't know what benefit the time off will be for my oldest son. I also am concerned that my youngest won't get the same amount of early education that she'll need."
The meeting, which had about a dozen parents in attendance, was the first of three scheduled for Squamish to discuss the issue. School board officials expect the low turn out for this week's meeting was due to the short notice given for the event, so an additional date for a Squamish forum has been added for March 27, at Don Ross Secondary School. The next meeting is this Monday (Feb. 26) in the Howe Sound Theatre. Both meetings begin at 7 p.m.
Parents are being asked what they feel School District 48 should do in regards to class times for the duration of the Games, and parental opinion is fairly split so far.
"There aren't going to be too many other opportunities, maybe none ever, for kids to have a chance to enjoy something like this," said parent Dawn Avries.
One of the reasons the district is considering the closures is because of an expected request from VANOC for use of the four high schools in the district during the games in February of 2010.
A number of scenarios have been floated as possibilities. They include the closure of all district schools during the event, closure of just the secondary schools, not closing any facilities at all, or having Spring Break earlier than usual in order to coincide with the Games.At a similar meeting this week in Whistler, an official with the Games' organizing committee (VANOC) said they hoped to use the four secondary schools in the Howe Sound School District for volunteer accommodation during the Games.
Maureen Douglas, VANOC's Sea to Sky communications director, told 60 people at Myrtle Philip Community Centre on Tuesday (Feb. 20) that Games organizers did not think they'd be interested in using elementary schools in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton. She added that she recognized that any decisions on such requests will rest entirely with the District 48 Board of Trustees.
"After assessing the need in the Sea to Sky, we anticipate that we will put forward a request to the school district for use of the four high schools in the district," said Douglas, referring to high schools in Whistler and Pemberton and the two in Squamish.
The meeting series, which also includes further forums in Whistler (March 12) and Pemberton (March 7), is only the first step in the school district's consultation process.
A parental survey, which will be conducted by the B.C School Trustees' Association, will be made available to parents in April. A decision is expected by June of this year.
The last time the Olympics were hosted in Canada - in Calgary in 1988 - the Calgary Public School Board opted not to close schools for the Games. However, a number of high schools organized class projects wherein entire grades would take a one-day field trip to volunteer for a particular function or event.
The consultation process is only one that is currently on going at the district. Last October school trustees held a series of seven public meetings as part of their "Dialogues on the Future" initiative, and the preliminary report that was created as a result of that consultation has now been released.
According to board chair Dave Walden the purpose of the meetings was to review the district's core values and mission statements, in attempt to meet the changing needs of the Sea-to-Sky corridor."The Olympic corridor has undergone many changes in recent years and these important guides to our actions need updating," Walden noted in a written statement.
The report and a feedback questionnaire is available at the school board's website, www.sd48.bc.ca, and comments from the public will be accepted until next Friday, (March 2).
