2011 News
North Shore News: End to North Vancouver school closures in sight
February 27, 2011
Benjamin Alldritt, North Shore News
North Vancouver school district’s long-term land strategy does not envision closing any more schools.
The board of education unanimously approved a plan Tuesday to handle its estimated $100 million worth of surplus real estate.
The plan divides the school district’s 12 unused properties into three classes for long-, medium- and short-term retention.
District staff believe that the schools currently in operation will be sufficient to accommodate growth in enrolment for the foreseeable future, noting in a report “the education delivery model of today that was built largely in the ’50s and ’60s requiring significant tracts of land will look different in the future.”
Nevertheless, the strategy calls for the district to hold onto Maplewood and Westover schools as they could serve the centres of growth envisioned in the District of North Vancouver’s new draft official community plan.
Balmoral secondary and Fromme and Plymouth elementary schools are listed as medium-term retention, meaning the buildings are currently providing a benefit to the district but could be candidates for repurposing, leasing or sale. Balmoral is currently housing the Carson Graham student body during that school’s rebuilding. A private Francophone school will be moving into the Fromme building next month. Read more
Contact North Van MLAs
MLA Naomi Yamamoto, North Van-Lonsdale (BC Liberal)
- Email: naomi.yamamoto.mla@leg.bc.ca
- Constituency office: 303 – 126 East 15th St, North Vancouver, V7L 2P9, telephone 604 981-0033
MLA Jane Thornthwaite, North Van-Seymour (BC Liberal)
- Email: jane.thornthwaite.mla@leg.bc.ca
- Constituency office: 217 – 1233 Lynn Valley Rd, North Van, V7J 0A1, telephone: 604 983-9852
MLA Ralph Sultan, West Van-Capilano (BC Liberal)
- Email: ralph.sultan.mla@leg.bc.ca
- Constituency office: 409 – 545 Clyde Avenue, West Vancouver, V7T 1C5, Telephone: 604 981-0050
2010 Archives
North Van DPAC published a school funding issues primer and urged all parents in the district to contact their MLAs to express concern about the impact of cuts on schools and the importance of fully funding public education. Ultimately, the board voted to make deep cuts to educational services and to close more schools. In many cases, the closed public schools were expected to reopen almost immediately as private schools.
- View the NVPAC School Funding Issues Primer
Links to SOS groups:
- Stop North Vancouver School Closures
- Keep Fromme Elementary Open
- Choice in school: Coalition to save Balmoral Jr Secondary
News
North Shore News: North Vancouver school closures attract private interest
Benjamin Alldritt, North Shore News
June 24, 2010
A pair of private schools have expressed some early interest in moving into the elementary school buildings recently closed by the North Vancouver school district.
École Française Internationale de Vancouver is already a district tenant, having leasing the Monteray school building for the past six years. But the Francophone school has outgrown that site and is now hoping for a 10-year lease on Fromme elementary.
If that plan moves ahead, it may clear the way for the school district to sell off or redevelop the Monteray land.
Another factor in the process will the lawsuit filed by parents of Fromme students in May, who were unhappy with the public consultation process that led up to the closure. The Fromme School Society has asked the B.C. Supreme Court to both block any sale or lease of the property and also to overturn the board of education’s order to close the school. That question is still before the court.
Lions Gate Christian Academy was also a tenant of the North Vancouver school district until their lease on the Maplewood school building ran out. They were unable to secure a new lease and ultimately the school was passed to Kenneth Gordon school, another private educator. Read more
News 1130: Helping students deal with school closures
Jun 22, 2010
Mike Lloyd
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – School districts across B.C. are dealing with budget shortfalls, more schools are closing and many students are saying goodbye to familiar classrooms and friends this week. Read more
News1130 has been following the efforts of one school in North Vancouver trying to make the transition an easier one for students.
North Shore News: Politics trump pupils in school board spat
June 16, 2010
Elizabeth James, North Shore News
…If there are valid points to be made on any side of the Vancouver School Board-Ministry of Education-Comptroller General debate, they were hard to decipher during last week’s cross-cultural discussions of the subject.
The first culture was represented by fatigued members of the Vancouver School Board who have struggled for 18 months to deliver on their election promises despite insufficient funding.
The second is that of Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid who, nurtured in the arrogant environment of the Campbell administration, refuses to acknowledge the significant role her government has played in creating the problems.
And the third culture belongs to a broadcast media that, early last week, appeared happy enough to run vanguard for the government message — a message that focused as much on the political sympathies of VSB chairwoman Patti Bacchus as it did on the issues. Read more
North Shore News: School closures potentially creative
June 4, 2010
Barbara Dodimead, Letter to the Editor
My guess is a private school will be thrilled to lease a seismically upgraded school like Fromme with such a fantastic playground and large playing field. Those living near these closed schools can look forward to a steady stream of cars from those parents with the financial means to access these private schools. Read more
News 1130: Angry parents taking North Vancouver School Board to court
May 23, 2010
Sheila Scott/John Streit
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A group of parents angry about the closure of an elementary school is suing the North Vancouver School Board. Parents say the board broke some of its own policies. Read more
The Province: North Van board sued over school closure
Lena Sin, The Province
May 23, 2010
The lawsuit was filed Thursday by the Fromme School Society, a non-profit group representing parents.
For months, parents have been campaigning to keep the school open. Hopes were dashed April 27 when school trustees voted 4-3 to close it.
The board blamed a shrinking school budget and dwindling enrolment for the closure of two elementary schools on June 30 (Fromme and Plymouth) and a third (Blueridge Elementary) in June 2013. Read more
North Shore News: North Van to rent out schools
James Weldon, North Shore News
May 12, 2010
The North Vancouver school district is looking for someone to take over two elementary schools it plans to close at the end of this school year in a bid to save cash.
School district staff issued a call for expressions of interest in recent days seeking tenants to take over Fromme and Plymouth elementary schools at the end of the summer. The North Vancouver board of education voted last month to close the facilities in an effort to make up a nearly $7-million budget shortfall. Read more
North Shore News: Schools in dire need of assistants
May 2, 2010
Dear Editor:
I would like to offer this quiz to parents of school-aged children.
1. Are children with learning disabilities provided with support in the classroom (other than from the classroom teacher)?
The answer to both questions is “No.” Read more
The Report Card: Another school closure in North Vancouver
April 29, 2010
Janet Steffenhagen
North Vancouver trustees voted this week to close another school — Fromme elementary. The decision was delayed last week because three trustees blocked the unanimous consent required to give three readings to the changes in one night. Read more
North Shore Outlook: NV board finalizes Maplewood lease with independent school
April 29, 2010
Kelly McManus – North Shore Outlook
North Van school trustees have approved a 10-year lease proposal by Burnaby’s Kenneth Gordon School for the former Maplewood school.
Tailored to children in grades 1-8 with learning disabilities, Kenneth Gordon School offers a high teacher-student ratio and charges $18,800 per student per year. Read more
Vancouver Sun: Special needs neglected in public school shortfall
Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun
April 26, 2010
Jennifer Goodman says she’s been fighting for months to get help from the North Vancouver school district for her dyslexic son but she’s been turned down so many times, she’s ready to give up and take her boy across town to a private school.
“It’s been an absolute nightmare,” the exasperated mother said. “In a nutshell, they’re not going to do anything. I really have no choice — I have to send him to Kenneth Gordon next year or it’s a lost cause.” Read more
North Shore Outlook: NV School Board closes two schools, consolidates alternate programs
Kelly McManus – North Shore Outlook
April 21, 2010
North Vancouver school trustees have voted to close two schools and consolidate several alternative programs. Plymouth elementary will close this June. Blueridge elementary will close in 2013. Keith Lynn Alternate secondary will close 2011 and amalgamate with the district’s other alternate learning programs. Read more
North Shore News: Time for a vision for North Vancouver schools
Opinion
April 16, 2010
On Tuesday evening the seven elected trustees of the North Vancouver Board of Education will meet to decide how they will deal with their school district’s budget problems. This is a scene that is being repeated around the province as school districts struggle with expense downloading by Victoria and anticipated revenue shortfalls…. (Read more – Web archive link expired)
North Shore News: N Van mulls doubled Spring Break
One extra week of holiday could help reduce budget shortfall
April 9, 2010
Benjamin Alldritt, North Shore News
In an effort to cut down some of its multi-million dollar budget shortfall, North Vancouver school district is considering a two-week Spring Break next year, as well as other possible school calendar changes.
“The whole issue for reviewing this is a budgetary reason,” human resources director Mark Jefferson told the district’s finance and facilities committee Tuesday. “We’re looking for cost savings, like non-replacement of teachers on call for absenteeism, same with support staff and general maintenance savings across the district.” (Read more -Web archive expired)
Vancouver Sun: Closing four community schools in North Vancouver is short-sighted and damaging to students
John Clark
February 10, 2010
The North Vancouver school district has identified four elementary schools for potential closure: Plymouth, Seymour Heights and Blueridge in the Windsor Family of Schools, and Fromme in the Argyle Family of Schools.
Closing community schools is a short-sighted solution to budget challenges. Community schools provide a superior education for our children. Read more
Please include Ralph Sultan’s contact information as he is the MLA for West Vancouver/Capilano. He represents North Vancouver parents in the Capilano/Edgement/ Delbrook/Upper Lonsdale areas.