Comox Valley School District addresses overcapacity issues

Some changes are on the way to help ease the burden of overcapacity at a handful of Comox Valley schools.

School District 71 trustees were presented with five recommendations that the district says, “reflected input from the four school communities where pressures are being experienced the most.’

They carried the following motions: 

Royston Elementary

• Pursue the addition of one modular structure in 2020 and an additional modular for 2021 to address anticipated growth
• Close all cross-boundary transfers
• Grade 6 will remain in the school grade configuration
• Begin the process to request a capital expansion.

Cumberland Community School

• Grade 9 will remain in the school grade configuration
• The Annex will be designated as space for the community school
• Close all cross-boundary transfers
• Pursue the purchase of an additional modular to address anticipated growth
• Begin the process to request a capital expansion

Miracle Beach

• Continue as a feeder school to G.P. Vanier Secondary
• Close all future cross-boundary transfers.

Huband Park Elementary

• Current Grade 6 and 7 students will be grandfathered to allow students to complete their elementary years at the school
• Effective Sept 2021, all other cross-boundary transfers will be rescinded, and those affected students will return to their catchment school to finish their elementary years
• Facilitate families of cross-boundary transfers wishing to return to catchment school in 2020
• All new cross-boundary transfers will be closed (including siblings)
• Continue as a feeder school to G.P. Vanier Secondary
• Catchment boundary will remain unaffected.

The changes will take effect for the next school year.

Meanwhile, the following schools are closed to all cross-boundary transfer including siblings: Cumberland Community School, Royston Elementary, G.P. Vanier Secondary, Mark Isfeld Secondary, Huband Park Elementary, and Miracle Beach Elementary.

No new cross-boundary transfers will be accepted for any of these schools.

All other transfer requests for the 2020-21 school year can be made online effective March 1st.

The online transfer request process is open for one month and will close at midnight on March 31st.