School budget Cuts coming to education staff to balance books. PAGE 10 Food Matters Citizens must stand up against genetically modified food. PAGE 11 Active Life Endless health benefits for people who walk in city’s parks. PAGE 3
Top players PAGE 14
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VOL. 24, NO. 148
NANAIMO
Report suggests closing schools Consultant recommends consolidating small schools to offer better educational choices BY JENN M C GARRIGLE THE NEWS BULLETIN
CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Model citizen
Frank Mills, of Ladysmith, launches his model of the Banckert, a detailed replica – including smoke from its stack – of the ship operating in the North Sea. Dozens of modellers from the Island, Lower Mainland and Washington state have their miniature marine craft on display at Country Club Centre this weekend for the Nanaimo Boat Modellers annual boat show.
Major changes could be in store for students, educators and community members in Nanaimo school district if a consultant’s recommendations are followed. School closures, rebuilding facilities, new programs and relocation of existing programs are all included in a report from Doug Player, a former superintendent of the West Vancouver School District, on what should go in Nanaimo school district’s 10-year facilities plan. He presented his recommendations to trustees and a large crowd of parents, educators and students in Nanaimo District Secondary School’s gymnasium Thursday evening. Recommendations include closing eight schools, rebuilding four schools, adding three new enrichment programs and relocating the learning alternatives programs and administrative functions. Player said the district is dealing with deteriorating facilities – 40 per cent are beyond their useful life – empty space, dysfunctional buildings, a lack of program enrichment, staffing duplication and a large budget deficit. “In my opinion, right now your students don’t have the facilities they deserve, they don’t have the achievement
they should have,” he said. “Your teachers should have more resources.” The district is trying to spread too few dollars across too many facilities and by massing students together, the district can improve course offerings, create better learning conditions and offer more resources to students, Player said. In the first two years, he recommends relocating the learning alternatives programs to NDSS and the elementary Life Skills program from Rutherford to Fairview elementary schools; moving Cedar Secondary students to John Barsby and moving North Cedar, North Oyster, South Wellington and Woodbank elementary school students to Cedar Secondary, closing those schools; doubling the half-size gym at Hammond Bay Elementary School; moving Grades 11 and 12 students from Woodlands to NDSS; closing the District Resource Centre; and reconfiguring schools in Ladysmith. In years three and five, Player proposes closing Woodlands and sending the junior students to NDSS; rebuilding NDSS; closing Ladysmith intermediate and building a new elementary school; rebuilding Cilaire Elementary; and closing Departure Bay Elementary and moving the students to Cilaire. ◆ See ‘PARENTS’ /5
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