Salmon Arm School Reconfiguration

The SD83 Board of Education decided to reconfigure Salmon Arm urban and rural feeder schools to a K-7, 8-12 model at the meeting held on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.

Board Chair Amanda Krebs noted the District will be making an application through the Capital Branch for funding through the Ministry’s new modular program. During long term facilities plan discussions several years ago moving to the K-7, 8-12 model, which is the most common in B.C., was not possible as the District could not afford to purchase the portables that would be necessary. With the new Ministry program, it allows the District to adopt a configuration that is both educationally and developmentally sound.

Trustees each spoke about the recommendation to reconfigure to the K-7, 8-12 model. Trustee Corryn Grayston said she wrestled with the configuration question both as a trustee and a parent. Initially, she believed a high school in Sorrento with a shorter bus ride was the answer. However, after attending the public information sessions, reviewing data from District leadership, and considering input from parents, the community, NOSTA, and DPAC, her perspective changed. Grayston found that parents would prefer their children to attend the larger high schools in Salmon Arm starting in Grade 8 for equal opportunities. Grayston expressed that District leadership had gathered sufficient information for the Board to make a decision. She articulated her support of a K-7 and 8-12 configuration.

Trustee Marianne VanBuskirk also spoke in favour of the K-7 and 8-12 configuration. She thanked everyone who helped put together both data and information to help trustees make the configuration decision. VanBuskirk shared that the change was required because of the multiple transitions students were required to make. She thanked school staff for the incredible job they do with students.

Trustee Brent Gennings also spoke in favour of the K-7 and 8-12 configuration. He acknowledged the many considerations around the two or three secondary school model but that he was leaning toward the two high school model as he preferred the options that accompany it.

Trustees also voted to rescind a motion passed in 2021 which supported, in principle, Option E5 of the Long-Range Facilities Plan, for the Salmon Arm region. Trustee Tennile Lachmuth spoke against rescinding the motion, cautioning that if the District did not receive the Ministry grant funding they were hoping for, then E5 (K-5, 6-8, 9-12) would at least reduce transitions by one. Other trustees felt that leaving that motion on the table would be confusing to staff, Rightsholders, and parents. Several trustees also noted they were concerned with funneling all the students to the Shuswap Middle School (SMS) and then having to divide them again into two secondary schools.

There will be further work done as the Board directed senior leadership to bring forth a recommendation for a two or three secondary school model for the Board to consider at the October 2024 Board Meeting.

Why the K-7, 8-12 Model?
To date, a total of thirty-seven separate engagement sessions have been held to discuss the Salmon Arm school configuration options listed within the 2019-2029 Long Range Facilities Plan. During those sessions, a “compelling why” has been shared which aligns with the District Strategic Plan. Sense of belonging, removing barriers for grade-to-grade transitions, school connectedness, student attendance, school completion rates, the necessity to support priority learners, and the current infrastructure available have dominated the conversations.

Educational/Developmental Benefits of a K-7, 8-12 model

• Provides an extended period with students who have diverse needs allowing for consistent case management.
• Offers a longer timeframe for relationships to be built between students and staff as well as staff and parents/guardians.
• Offers advantages to align curricular minutes with Ministry requirements.
• Alignment with BC School Sports is currently an issue. Only grade 8 students in the two middle schools can participate, while K-8 schools do not have this capacity. Some of the seasons do not align with elementary and secondary schools which also complicates participation in sports.
• The ability of grade 8 students being exposed to elective opportunities and extracurricular activities in an 8-12 setting builds school culture and promotes interest for future courses.

Infrastructure Considerations

• Major Capital dollars have a June application whereby a Board decision allows the District to submit a proposal to be considered for the provincial modular program.
• Portables would be funded by the District and our own timeline and process would be followed.
• The timeline for design with modulars is a much shorter window.
• J.L. Jackson Secondary has more site restrictions, and a two-level expansion would comfortably fit six additional spaces. The recommendation would be to add four rooms to Jackson and eight to Salmon Arm Secondary.
• Salmon Arm Secondary has more available space for an expansion project than J.L. Jackson.
• Secretary Treasurer Culler and Director Elwood have walked the properties with Ministry representatives to review the functional capacity of various schools in Salmon Arm.
• In a two high school model there will be sufficient space within the elementary schools with the addition of SMS possibly becoming a single-track or dual-track French Immersion elementary school (late and early immersion).
• In a three high school model, additional spaces would be required at several elementary schools. Senior leadership is working with the Ministry to consider multiple sites as a single project.

Superintendent Donna Kriger noted that with the motion, work could begin on developing timelines and catchment areas. She noted it will be a gradual transition plan that will include more informational meetings for the public throughout the process.

Please read the background information here , which includes details on educational benefits, infrastructure considerations, potential programming, facility comparisons, and facility pressures.