WATCH: First open house on plans to re-draw Greater Victoria School District catchment boundaries draws lots of angry parents.
A plan to re-draw catchment boundaries in the Greater Victoria School District isn’t sitting well with some parents.
School District 61 held its first open house on Wednesday evening to get feedback from parents and community members.
Dozens of people packed into the gym at Spectrum Secondary School to learn more about the plan and voice concerns.
Many were parents from South Park Family School and Cloverdale Elementary, which are alternative schools with high parent involvement.
They’re defined as ‘schools of choice’ that parents can send their children to, even if they don’t live in the neighbourhood.
But due to growing enrollment and a shortage of classroom space, the Greater Victoria School District wants to turn the schools into regular catchment schools and parents aren’t happy.
“I came out because I thought it would be a proper Q & A and a proper consultation,” says South Park Family School parent Jeremy Caradonna. “But I was disappointed to find it’s essentially a trade show, meant to give the aura of consultation but they’re not really looking for critical feedback or engagement.”
Parent advisory councils at Cloverdale Elementary and South Park are fighting the change and plan to submit a written proposal to SD 61 on other solutions to the boundary issue.
Tess van Straaten
