Salmon Arm School Configuration Update

Discussions are ongoing regarding the grade configuration for schools in Salmon Arm and the surrounding area. The discussions focus on school transitions as they relate to the strategic priorities of intellectual, human & social, and career development as well as the District values of belonging, respect, reconciliation, empathy, equity, and perseverance.

Superintendent of Schools Donna Kriger presented the Board with research connected to the impact of multiple school transitions, survey data collected from staff, as well as information regarding upcoming public sessions. Kriger expressed the deep sense of responsibility she carries to ensure that the message about school reconfiguration is being delivered through the lens of empathy and equity. Reconfiguration has been an ongoing subject of discussion within the District for the last 37 years and Kriger acknowledged that reconfiguration is a topic which is very complicated and elicits deep emotion for many. There is a strong consensus among both senior and school leaders within the District that multiple school transitions within the Salmon Arm area negatively impact vulnerable learners. Data would suggest that Indigenous students, students with diverse abilities, and children & youth in care are most impacted when they are required to change schools.

Meetings with Rightsholders, parents & caregivers, the public, and students will continue through the month of April. During the April 16, 2024, Board of Education meeting, trustees will receive the financial implications of various configuration options. Kriger commented that once all this work is complete, it will be up to the Board to decide on the proposed next steps in configuration. “I’m proud to work for a Board that puts students first,” said Kriger. The Board will consider the impact on students, the strategic plan priorities, feedback collected, the space available in schools, and any financial implications to drive their decision in the matter.

The work has been ongoing since the November 2023 Regular Board Meeting when a motion was passed directing administration to bring forth options for a Salmon Arm reconfiguration. Each of the options originally suggested within the 2019 Long Range Facility Plan have been examined and feedback has been provided to trustees for their review.

Discussions and consultations about configuration will continue through April. To date there have been five meetings with principals and vice-principals, three meetings with teachers from across the District, three with support staff, one with the City of Salmon Arm planners, one with PAC/DPAC members, one with Indigenous graduates, one with school counsellors, one with bus drivers and custodial staff, two public, and one with District Education Support Center staff. Future meetings are scheduled during April and into May for Rightsholders, school PACs, parents/caregivers, and other public stakeholders.

What has Changed Since 2021?
Extensive meetings around reconfiguration took place during 2020-2021 after the development of the Long Range Facilities Plan, however, there have been many changes since that time. Currently the District is seeing the enrolment pressures from 2020-21 plateau. Although there are still some challenges with space at a couple of urban elementary schools, the enrolment pressures have lessened from pre-COVID. There was a lot of discussion previously about where we were going to fit everyone. Kriger emphasized that if conversations around configuration are centered around the Strategic Plan and through the lens of equity, we will accomplish what is best for students.

There has been an expansion of the Ministerial Order (see below) with a focus on Priority Learners.

Some of the Issues
Approximately 25 to 30 percent of the learners within SD83 are either Indigenous students, students with diverse learning abilities, or children and youth in care. The Ministry of Education and Child Care, along with all school districts across the province, consider these students to be “priority learners.” As such, there is a responsibility to examine any systemic inequities that exist as barriers for these learners and their families. Research indicates that school transitions can have a significant impact on all learners, particularly priority learners. The research would suggest that school transitions can be more detrimental than student absenteeism. 

Within the community of Salmon Arm, students are currently expected to transition after their Kindergarten to Grade 5 experiences, into a middle school with Grades 6 to 8, then to a junior secondary for Grades 9 and 10, and finally into a senior secondary school to complete Grades 11 and 12. School District No. 83 is the only district across the province that requires students to transition during their secondary experience. This practice results in students having to begin a graduation program in one school and complete it in a different school. Data would indicate that priority learners are most impacted by this transition. Student completion rates, grade-to-grade transition rates, students’ sense of belonging, and connectedness to school seem to align with the timing of transitions. When data and research are considered in tandem, it is difficult to ignore the impact that school transitions have on students within the community of Salmon Arm. 

What is Typical in BC
Typically, elementary schools in BC enroll students in Kindergarten (age 5) and Grades 1 to 7 (ages 6-12). Secondary schools in most school districts enroll students in Grades 8 to 12 or in Grades 9 to 12 (ages 13-17). In districts where there are large numbers of students between ages 11-13, and where adequate facilities are available, the school district might have students attend a middle school in Grades 6 to 8. The majority of students finish secondary school by age 18.

Kriger concluded her report by reminding everyone that “schools and staff are not failing students, the opposite is the case. Staff in schools are continuing to do outstanding work to support students and their families. The barriers that currently exist are a result of systemic barriers which need to be examined.”

UPCOMING SESSIONS

There are two more upcoming information sessions for parents and interested community members. Please register no later than three days before the selected session. Please use the QR code or this link to register: https://shorturl.at/wARZ4