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Friday, October 10, 2014
SERVING MISSION SINCE 1908
Mission moves to single senior high school Reconfiguration to achieve ‘critical mass’ of students Tyler OLSEN ABBOTSFORD NEWS
The Mission board of education decided Monday night to create a single high school at Mission Secondary for all of the district’s Grade 10, 11 and 12 students. The reconfiguration will also turn Heritage Park and Hatzic secondary schools into middle schools for students in grades 7 through 9. Trustees said the move was necessary in order to provide students with advanced and specialized courses and programs, many of which had been cut as enrolment fell in recent years. All four school trustees present — Randy Cairns, Shelley Carter, chair Edie Heinrichs, and vice-chair Jim Taylor — approved the changes. Trustee Carol Hamilton was not present. The trustees told a crowd of around 50 parents, teachers and community members that Mission secondary had been recommended as the site of the new school for several reasons, including financial considerations. Using Mission secondary as the senior high school would see an influx of around 110 students into the 62-year-old building and cost around $1.5 million. For Heritage Park to be used, space would need to be made for around 400 students, at a projected cost of $4.5 million. Taylor, who had at one time favoured the use of Heritage Park for the new senior high school, said the
TYLER OLSEN Abbotsford News
Jim Pearce, who will be principal of Mission’s new senior high school, addresses a special board of education meeting Monday night. student influx would likely see a “portable city” spring up around the building. Moving senior students into Mission would allow for a more seamless transition, trustees said. They also expressed hope that the school district would be able to convince the province to replace the 62-year-old Mission secondary within the next decade. District superintendent Bill Fletcher also announced Heritage Park secondary principal Jim Pearce, and
vice-principal Beth-Anne Cullen will take on those roles at the new high school.
would be a drastic improvement over the current situation.
If we continue to do the same things we’re done. We’ve got to make it better for our kids. Principal Jim Pearce Pearce and Cullen spoke to those present Monday about how a single high school
“If we continue to do the same things, we’re done,” Pearce said. “We’ve got to
make it better for our kids.” With older students split among three different schools – and with their numbers expected to decline for more than a decade – Pearce said the three schools lacked sufficient interest to offer specialized courses, including trades classes. The lack of those options have exacerbated the problem, as students seeking those courses for graduation enrol in neighbouring districts. Pearce noted that in 2002, 11 advanced placement
courses were being taught. “This district may offer one now,” he said. “That’s ridiculous.” Classes that his school can’t currently offer with only 20 interested students will become viable with a larger student base. Various sports teams have also fallen by the wayside without enough players in the individual schools. In a speech that elicited applause from the crowd, Pearce said he hopes the community can “build something so spectacular that every single one of our kids have what they need.” He said a high school would also allow teachers to teach in their specialties, would allow for more collaboration and innovation among staff, and would create a community hub. With the new school, he said “we can get more out of our children and we can get more out of ourselves.” During the consultation stage, some had suggested the high school should take on grades 9 through 12, while the middle schools should handle students in Grade 6, 7 and 8. Such a move, however, would have forced the closure of up to five elementary schools – including three in rural areas, trustees said Monday. It would also have created two senior high schools, thereby defeating the reconfiguration’s purpose. “The main reason for
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