Investing in our Future - Long Range Facilities Plan

April 17, 2024

Information Release - Long-Range Facilities Plan

April 15, 2024

At a Special Board Meeting held earlier this evening, the Board of Education passed the third and final readings and adopted School Closure bylaws for the following schools:

• Carmi Elementary
• Parkway Elementary
• Giant’s Head Elementary
• ConnectEd Facility (not ConnectEd programs)

None of the school closures will take place until June 2025.

The district will now begin the transition plan for the following changes that will be occurring in the upcoming school year:

• Current grade 7 students at the middle schools in Penticton and Summerland will transition to Grade 8 at the Secondary Schools in September.

• Current grade 5 students at Columbia Elementary will transition to KVR Middle School in September as Columbia Elementary rejoins the Penticton Secondary Family of Schools.

The district will continue to engage and communicate with families as the 3-year transition takes place.

On January 31, 2024, the Board of Education passed a motion to initiate a 60 day public consultation process regarding the proposed Long-Range Facilities Plan. Information regarding the engagement timeline and process is included above.

WHERE ARE WE IN THE PROCESS?

LONG RANGE FACILITIES PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS

The following report was presented to the Board at a Special Board Meeting on January 23, 2024. The report includes recommendations for the Board to consider regarding school closures and reconfiguration.

LRFP Recommendations

If you have a question regarding the presentation, please refer to the FAQ documents at the side of this page (coming soon), or see the Questions link at the bottom of the page. All questions will be collected by staff and answered in the FAQ documents.

For a summary of the proposed changes by Family of Schools, see the following links:

Penticton Secondary - Family of Schools

Princess Margaret Secondary - Family of Schools

Summerland Secondary - Family of Schools

INTERACTIVE TOOL

Do you want to know how YOUR child would progress through the proposed grade reconfiguration?

SD67 Grade Transition Tool

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL

A partnership with the City of Penticton

The Safe Routes to School program aims to create a safe environment for students to walk, wheel and roll to school wherever possible. The City is partnering with the school district, school administration, caregivers and students to understand school travel choices and identify any existing transportation challenges and opportunities for improvement.

The City launched the project in May 2023 in partnership with Carmi and Uplands Elementary schools, with the goal of extending it to other schools.

The City of Penticton is committed to continuing the Safe Routes to School program by completing two schools each year, and has already committed to start the process for Columbia Elementary as one of two schools for 2024. Should the Board of Education approve the long-term facilities plan recommendations, the City would work with existing Parkway Elementary families and administration to develop a new safe routes to school program for the future Skaha Lake Elementary.

See the Memorandum from the City of Penticton to School District No. 67 for more information on how the City and the School District have partnered to ensure safe routes to school for students in the district.

Safe Routes to School - Memo from City to School District

Visit CIty of Penticton - Safe Routes to School for more information.

A partnership with the District of Summerland

The District of Summerland is currently in the process of updating it's Transportation Master Plan. As part of this plan, the District of Summerland will be reviewing active transportation routes, identifying transportation network and infrastructure gaps and developing conceptual design of priority projects.

With the understanding that there may be some changes to the Summerland school model with the proposed Long Range Facilities Plan, the District of Summerland has worked to integrate safe routing to the downtown schools as part of the project. The project will develop a Safe Routes to School Plan identifying infrastructure upgrades and safe routes to walk and cycle to school. The project will also include significant public and community engagement. A representative from the School District would be welcomed in this process.

See the Memorandum from the District of Summerland to School District No. 67 for more information on how the District and the School District have partnered to ensure safe routes to school for students in the district.

Safe Routes to Schools - Memo from District of Summerland

Understanding the Difference Between Operating and Functional Capacity

See the link to read about why the district uses "Functional Capacity" when looking at facility use. Operating vs Functional Capacity

BACKGROUND

The Board of Education’s Strategic Plan identifies a clear vision and mission for the district and identifies key goals that support student achievement and wellbeing.

In support of its Strategic Plan and core mandate of supporting programs and services for students, Boards of Education are responsible for planning and maintaining school facilities. This includes ensuring that school buildings are safe, efficiently utilized, well-maintained and conducive to learning.

A Long-Range Facility Plan (LRFP) guides the Board’s decisions regarding facility operations. It uses a ten-year planning horizon with a focus on three core areas:

• School Capacity Utilization- identifying where there is space, and where there are enrolment pressures at each of our schools.
• Projecting Enrolment – reviewing projected student enrolment over time (10 years) to ensure schools have capacity to meet student needs.
• Financial responsibility – identifying funding challenges and aligning financial and sustainability goals to ensure adequate funds are available for educational programs.

The focus of the LRFP planning process is to ensure the district is managing its school facilities in an efficient manner in order to deliver and sustain educational programs to our students at the highest possible standard.

School District Capacity Utilization:

• 2023/2024 – Penticton Schools 82%, Summerland Schools 69%
• The Ministry of Education and Child Care’s guidance are 95%

Projected Enrolment:

• The district is projecting minimal growth in student enrolment over the next 10 years (a range of 160-300 students)
• Projections are estimates based on multiple sources of data including historical trends, birth data from Vital Statistics, BC Census Data, and local knowledge (district trend data and projections, new housing development/plans, local governments OCP documents).

Financial Responsibility:

• 96% of our funding comes from enrolment (number of students each year).
• Since 2001, the district’s enrolment has decreased overall by approximately 2,079 students (26%).
• The inefficient use of buildings in conjunction with minimal enrolment growth has resulted in continued cost pressures and budget challenges.
• Every year the district faces unfunded cost pressures of up to $1 Million.
• Pressures include items such as Transportation increases, Utilities/Fuel increases, Replacement/illness costs, and Benefit premium increases (WCB, CPP, EI, pension, health/dental).
• There is a need to address our school capacities, and closure and consolidation need to be part of this plan.
• The most efficient use of funds through “right sizing” our school district will allow more supports to student programs and service.

Student Enrolment has changed. Student needs have changed.

The needs of our schools have changed over time. The impact of the pandemic has highlighted this. Some examples include:

• Literacy and Numeracy - a need for increased literacy and numeracy focused support to address student needs. Our educators have noted lagging skills since the return from the pandemic, and our FSA data indicates a declining trend, matching provincial trend data, in both areas.
• Counselling – a need for more efficient counselling access. For example, our elementary counsellors need more effective access to students. Currently, counselling time is divided between a number of schools at elementary.
• Specialty Programs - our District Graduation rates have been strong; however, we have found that specialty programs, such as careers programming and Land Based Learning and other program options have a significant positive impact on many of our students that may not had success in traditional school environments or are looking at career pathways. These programs require additional funding to operate.
• Program/Course offerings - our smaller secondary schools have struggled to provide as many options for students as we would like them to have. This includes band, arts, and academic course offerings.
• Early Learning/School Readiness - an increased need for support for early learning and school readiness for our primary students, and an overall need for the district to be flexible and innovative to meet the needs of all learners.

Summary:

The need to address issues of enrolment and capacity utilization has created pressures that currently challenge our ability to provide the programs and services our student require.

The Board has asked staff to investigate options to address efficient facility use in alignment with the district’s strategic plan, and to ensure the district is adapting to the changing needs of our community.

These options may include recommendations to close and/or consolidate schools. They are not taken lightly and are made in alignment with Board policy, informed by data, and ensure the responsible use of resources to benefit all students while prioritizing education opportunities for SD67 students.