Grade Configuration
Consultation Meeting
SD 71 Comox Valley
Jordan Tinney, Dec 2006
The past…

Declining Enrolment Task Force March,
2003 recommendations:
 Closing
Black Creek School in Sept. 2003 or Sept.
2004;
 Closing Union Bay School in Sept. 2003 or Sept.
2004;
 Closing Tsolum Elementary in Sept. 2006; and
 Reexamining the current grade structure and school
boundaries in the district over the next five years in
the best interests of students rather than to fill
buildings.
One of the issues…consistency
Highland Secondary grades 10-12
 Mark R. Isfeld Secondary grades 9-12
 G.P. Vanier grades 9-12
 Lake Trail, Cumberland Jr., Cape Lazo,
Aspen grades 7-9
 Courtenay Jr. grades 7-8

Demographics
 Where
do they come from and who is
Baragar?
 Stats Canada, hospital records (birth
rates), local knowledge, BC Stats;
 Used across entire province;
 Strong history of accuracy.
One of the issues - demographics
Enrolment Projections vs. Actual
Source: Declining Enrolment Task Force January, 2003
9200
9000
Headcount Students
8800
8600
Projections
Actual
8400
8200
8000
7800
2002
2003
2004
Year
2005
2006
Past and Future
District Total
8600
8400
8200
8000
District Total
7800
7600
7400
7200
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
Our Middle Schools
School
Capacity
Enrolment 06
Seats
Lake Trail
550
423
-127
Cumberland Jr
275
219
-56
Aspen Park
400
249
-18
-Fr Imm
133
Cape Lazo
400
303
-97
Courtenay Mid
600
486
-114
-412
Our Secondary Schools
School
Capacity
Enrolment 06
Seats
G.P. Vanier
1125
1154
29
Highland
800
654
-68
-Fr Imm
Mark Isfeld
78
850
653
-197
-236
Elementary Zones - Comox
School
Capacity
Enrolment 06
Seats
Airport
380
275
-105
Brooklyn
290
303
13
Comox
330
176
-154
Robb Road-Fr Imm
380
348
-32
Village Park
215
197
-18
-296
Elementary Zones - Courtenay
School
Capacity
Enrolment 06
Seats
Arden
315
261
-54
Courtenay
480
261
-219
Puntledge Park
570
195
-169
-Fr Imm
206
-442
Elementary Zones – North/Central
School
Capacity
Enrolment 06
Seats
Glacier View
355
239
-116
Huband Park
390
374
-16
Miracle Beach
265
238
-27
Valley View
430
432
2
-157
Elementary Zones - Islands
School
Capacity
Enrolment 06
Seats
Denman Island
115
59
-56
Hornby Island
165
45
-120
-176
Elementary Zones –
Cumberland/Royston
School
Capacity
Enrolment 06
Seats
Cumberland
275
219
-56
Royston
265
177
-88
-144
Total Elementary Seats Empty
 1863
in all elementary schools
 We get $5830/student;
 This is approx. $10.8M in revenue
that is lost given our current space.
 Of this $10.8M, about half would be
available for other programs and
staff beyond our current staffing
ratios.
The overall plan
 Consolidate
grades;
 Propose school closures;
 Consolidate facilities;
 Dispose of assets;
 Adjust resource levels to strengthen
school programs;
 Draft firm 3-5 year district plan with
projection for 10 years.
The basic issues…
Too many seats, too few kids…
Programs vs. facilities…
Understanding potential closures
 Closing
the full school and not the
empty one
School
Capacity
Enrolment 06
Seats
Arden
315
261
-54
Courtenay
480
261
-219
Puntledge Park
570
195
-169
-Fr Imm
206
-442
The importance of research and
planning
 If
demographics, funding, and the
community force you to reexamine
the configuration of your schools,
then the decisions should be based
on:
– Academic research about which
structures are most supportive of
students; and
– Careful planning and consideration for
the future and sustainability.
The Trillium Report

Recommendations:
– Adopt a grade 6-8 middle school model;
– Initiate process for closure of Tsolum and Union Bay;
– Proceed with the implementation of the 6-8 middle
school model when secondary enrolments have declined
sufficiently;
– Initiate the process for considering the closure of Cape
Lazo Middle, Comox Elementary, Village Park
Elementary, Glacier View Elementary, and Courtenay
Elementary by 2009.
– Explore opportunities to consolidate district programs in
one surplus facility;
– Explore opportunities to sell a surplus school to the
Conseil Scolaire Francophone;
– Proceed with the disposition of properties that are
surplus to District needs.
Masters Study - 2005

Recommendations:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Develop a consultative process with secondary school teachers
so they will feel involved in the process;
Mandate professional learning communities in the three
secondary schools;
Share key research on middle school configurations;
Standardize middle and secondary school configurations;
Consider alternate structures for secondary schools (multiple
campuses, self-paced learning);
Appoint a leader for the change process whose job it is to
ensure changes are implemented and who will be accountable
for progress in the secondary system;
Establish networks with other schools and districts that are
involved in change and improvement programs;
Appoint “lead learners” in schools who will help train and
implement changes;
Engage in systems thinking – create schools that serve students
better. Encourage schools to share their ideas and methods with
those that are under-performing.
Masters Study 2005
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Improve awareness throughout our district as to the moral purpose
of schools to improve satisfaction and achievement levels. “Raise
the bar and close the gap” – most importantly, we need to make
people believe there is an urgent need to improve our system.
Investigate how Assessment for Learning can give a ready focus to
the professional learning communities set up in our schools; and
Develop a small-school philosophy. Ensuring numbers are not
excessive;
Ensure feeder schools are sending their students to a single school;
Reconfiguration needs to be based on long-term goals;
Give careful thought to the transition process;
Choosing a secondary school model is less important than ensuring
support for change and establishing clear direction for those
involved;
Work toward greater integration of North Island Distance Education
School; and
Establish a transition committee made up of members from all
stakeholder groups, and empower them to make decisions about
the long-term direction for SD #71.
Possible Scenarios

Comox Valley School District could close all of
our middle schools and reconfigure the district
in a K-8 and 9-12 model. The capacity in our
elementary schools is sufficient to
accommodate all students as are our three
secondary schools. This would mean the closure
of Cape Lazo, Ecole Aspen Park, Lake Trail,
Courtenay Middle and Cumberland Junior
schools. It would be reasonable to assume that
the subsequent elementary populations would
be dispersed to the newer buildings and the
older facilities closed. For example, Cape Lazo
and Ecole Aspen Park could hold the combined
populations of Brooklyn, Village Park, and
Comox Elementary.
Possible Scenarios

Comox Valley School District could
reconfigure for a standard 6-8 and
9-12 grade configuration. In the
Trillium report, this possible
scenario included the potential
closures of Glacier View Elementary,
Comox Elementary, Village Park
Elementary, and Cape Lazo Middle
School.
Possible Scenarios

Comox Valley School District could continue
with the grade 7-9, 10-12 model with
adjustments to have consistent grade
configurations in buildings. In the Trillium
Report, this possible scenario included the
potential closures of Comox Elementary, Cape
Lazo Middle, and Vanier Secondary School. It is
important to note that in this model you would
not have to wait until 2015 to close Vanier as
the enrolment decline is sufficient by 2010 to
justify the closure of Vanier with a subsequent
sale and upgrade to Highland and Mark R.
Isfeld to accommodate the additional students.
Possible Scenarios
 Inconsistency
in grade structures;
 Independent directed studies
secondary school;
 Multiple campus single secondary
school;
 …others?
Timeline for configuration decisions


November 2006 – January 2007
Paper on grade configuration – soliciting feedback
and advertising forums through local media:
– Two public forums;
– One small working group – to collate discussions;
– Participation and feedback requested online as well;

February 2007
– Working group collates results/comments and suggests
options for district grade configuration.
– Superintendent writes report complete with
recommendations.

March 2007
– C.O.W. public discussion on recommendations.
– Board meeting – Board decision on grade configuration.
Timeline for configuration decisions

April, 2007
– Initiation of Policy 3050 complete with identification of
schools proposed for closure.
– Public information on the timelines of potential school
closures.

April-June, 2007
– Initiation of school closure and consolidation processes.

September – November, 2007
– Public consultation regarding school closures as per
policy 3050.

November 27, 2007
– Board decision regarding school closures for June, 2008
at the earliest.
Our task…


Briefly review research;
Answer 4 questions to begin:
1.
2.
3.
4.
–
What is the most important educational issue for the
district to consider in moving to a consistent grade
configuration?
Which grade configuration do you prefer?
What research or information do you have to support
your preference for grade structure?
What do you feel is the most important noneducational issue for the district to consider as we
move to have consistency in our grade structures?
Return and report out – 1 common theme from
each table.
Follow - up
All notes taken and added to district web
site;
 Any emails welcomed as further
information (linda.nygaard@sd71.bc.ca);
 Student working group;
 Community working group;
 Teachers working group;
 Committee of the whole discussion;
 Next meeting January 23rd 7:00 Mark R.
Isfeld.
