Board scrambles to find options for new school

Options for more secondary school spaces on the Westside are urgently being considered by school trustees and the district.

The Board of Education will review and vote on a recommended motion from its general affairs committee at its May 26 meeting that allows for the Westside to build a second secondary school and supports a long-term solution to address the significant growth in the Westside family of schools.

It was back in 2015 that the board stated the need for second secondary school on the Westside, and in 2016 conducted a comprehensive study of the needs of the Westside school communities.

Provincial approval for a new secondary school was received in 2019, and the Central Okanagan School District has been searching to secure land with multiple attempted acquisitions, however there were no opportunities that met the provincial government’s criteria for purchase.

The site of the Webber Road Community Centre, which the school district owns, was considered but can’t proceed due to significant challenges with location, topography, and the designated archaeological/historical site where the school would be built.

The district says Mount Boucherie Secondary can’t be expanded further (it is expected to be at 126 per cent capacity in five years with 17 portables on site), and any delays in approval may cause provincial funding to be revoked or redirected by the Ministry of Education.

The Board of Education said it’s only solution to securing a site to build a second secondary school on the Westside will be to reopen Webber Road Elementary School and repurpose the École George Pringle Elementary site.

Other vital projects in the Central Okanagan such as a new Glenmore Secondary and Wilden Elementary may be delayed.

The Board will discuss several motions at its May 26 meeting which will be available for public attendance on Zoom.

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