Proposed catchment boundaries for Greater Victoria School District Elementary schools for September 2020 (right side). Photo courtesy GVSD.
The Greater Victoria School District (GVSD) says it will be hosting three open houses in February to get input on new proposed catchment boundaries.
The input sessions will take place Feb. 6 at Spectrum Community Secondary and Feb. 13 at Lansdowne Middle School.
All sessions run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
There will also be a session Feb. 16 at Victoria High between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m.
The district got approval to proceed with public consultation on proposed school catchments at the Board of Education meeting Monday night.
The GVSD says the new proposed boundaries, for elementary, middle and secondary schools, are due to increased enrolment and limited space at some of the district’s schools and would be effective September 2020.
District 61 says significant student population growth of nearly 1,000 additional students over the past four years and smaller class size legislation has impacted the availability of school space.
Proposed catchment changes are in response to feedback from a public survey during phase one of the catchment boundary review last Fall.
“Unfortunately, there is no option where everything can remain the same so we are trying to find the best solution. We hope through further consultation we are able to find the solutions that accommodate and take into consideration all members of our learning community,” District 61 Superintendent Shelley Green said in a statement.
“The Board is looking forward to receiving further input from the community. We want to ensure our decision-making process is open and transparent, so community engagement is very important to us,” Board Chair Jordan Watters said in a release.
The Board of Education will review input collected from the open house sessions on the proposed boundaries and will make a decision in the Spring.
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