VSB votes unanimously in favour of plan that could lead to multiple school closures

In a decision trustees called “monumental,” the Vancouver School Board passed a long-term plan Monday night that could see the closure of several schools.

“We are now working towards a plan by 2030 to make all of our seismically upgraded schools fixed up so that kids can be in them in a safe manner and that we’ll also be able to secure money to build…six schools in areas of projected growth,” VSB Chair Mike Lombardi said.

But the long-rang facilities plan could also lead to the closure of several schools and it’s that uncertainty that motivated several parents to attend the board meeting.

“We would lose the heart of our community,” said Jennifer Stewart of Families Against Cuts to Education. “Kids all can walk to school in our neighbourhood, it’s a very tight-knit community.”

No specific schools have been singled out for possible closure or repurposing, but there is a fear that East Vancouver schools that are below capacity may be the most vulnerable.

The Ministry of Education now requires 95 per cent capacity at all schools to get seismic funding, but some question how that number is calculated.

“I am heartened that every single trustee seems to recognize that the 95 per cent is not based on any educational rationale and would have massive impact on communities,” said Maggie Milne Martens of the Parents Advocacy Network for Public Education.

The Vancouver School Board will review the plan annually, insisting that school closures are just one option. If they do occur, the earliest a school could shutter is June 2017.

“What the province wants to do is they want to move the seismic upgrade program ahead and we want to do that too,” Lombardi said.

“In the end, school closure decisions are only made by the school board after following our policies.”

The plan will be submitted to the Ministry of Education, but there will also be a five-month consultation period to hear more from parents.

– With files from Jill Bennett