CALGARY – Students and parents from a southwest school gathered at the Calgary Board of Education’s downtown offices on Friday to voice their concerns with a big change at the facility.
The CBE recently announced the Spanish Bilingual program from Westgate School would be relocated to Eugene Coste, about 20 minutes away in the community of Haysboro.
Officials say the decision was made to solve a projected over capacity at Westgate in September 2013.
On Friday morning, concerned parents presented a petition with 1,100 signatures to CBE officials, urging them to reconsider the decision.
Parents accused the CBE of ignoring two other options which are available, and say the program moving means their kids will be on the bus for up to two hours each day.
“During the engagement process that we actively participated in over the last 15 months, Eugene Coste was never an option that was presented to us,” says parent Myles Nash. “Not once, was an option that is 15 kilometers away present to this family.”
“The process was flawed,” continues Myles. “We provided feedback on three options, we thought that one of those options was going to be chosen.. and then a couple of months later, January 9th of last week, we were provided with an option that was never on the table.”
Parents complain families who are unable to make the commute are now in limbo as other southwest schools with Spanish programs are capped or have wait lists.
The Spanish program at Westgate currently has 340 students.
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