Cowichan Secondary School in Duncan will be going up for sale after permanently closing in December.
The Cowichan Valley School District’s (SD79) board voted unanimously on Tuesday to permanently close the aging school as of Dec. 31 and enter into the formal disposal process for the facility.
Board chair Cathy Schmidt said the decision was made after carefully considering all the public feedback from the district engagement session, public survey, letters and emails, and conversations with local stakeholders.
“We know how much Cowichan Secondary School means to us and generations of our friends, neighbours and other community members. The school’s rich history will not be lost as active steps are being taken to ensure the memory of Cowichan Secondary School lives on,” Schmidt said.
She added the opening of Quw’utsun Secondary School, the enhancement of programming for students, and the stagnation of enrolment in the district’s central area, closing the school makes fiscal sense.
The new Quw’utsun Secondary School is under construction on University Way, with the plan to replace the old school when it opens in September.
This will leave the current school vacant for the first time in its more than 70-year history in the Cowichan Valley.
WATCH: CHEK Roadshow: An exclusive early look at the $82M Cowichan Secondary School project
SD79 must now apply to the Ministry of Education and Child Care for approval to sell the school.
Once approved, the board will then have further discussions with Cowichan Tribes and local governments before any approval to sell the property for fair market value on the public market.
The formal disposal process has no defined timeline, and the community will continue to be updated on it and the processes in place to honour Cowichan Secondary School’s rich history.
Mackenzie Read
