Petition aims to retool school use; Gov't urged to rethink formula based on 'bums in seats'
The Province
April 16, 2008
By: Glenda Luymes

A Pitt Meadows mother has launched a petition to prevent schools with declining enrolment from closing -- by changing the criteria that determine their capacity.

The B.C. Ministry of Education currently assesses a school's viability by calculating its functional capacity -- literally counting the "bums in seats," Karen Georgi said yesterday.

"If a school is not running close to capacity, it is more likely to be closed."

The mother of two said the formula should be changed to consider other uses for the school building, such as daycare ….

"Once a school is closed, it's closed," she said yesterday. "It has a snowball effect on the community. No one is looking at the big picture."

Susan Carr, who co-chairs the Maple Ridge Mount Crescent Elementary Parent Advisory Council, supports Georgi's petition.

"We're still on the chopping block. I think it's a fact of life nowadays," Carr said, referring to the school's possible closure….

…. "Now we're doing all we can to use up the space," said Carr, who wants the school's numerous uses to be factored into future capacity calculations.

"We're not saying, 'Don't close schools.' If a school has fewer than 100 students, maybe it should be closed. But if there's a strong school community there and the building is being used, that should be recognized," she said.

Education Minister Shirley Bond said changing demographics are presenting challenges for school districts across B.C.

… But she said the ministry is reviewing its capacity-utilization formula.

Georgi's petition can be accessed at http://members.shaw.ca/stopbcschoolclosures/