Surrey Schools launches consultation on the future of Traditional Schools
The district is asking for input from families at Cloverdale Traditional, Surrey Traditional and McLeod Road Traditional on future considerations for traditional schools in Surrey.
Surrey Schools is launching a month-long consultation process to discuss the future of traditional schools, and we’re inviting input from parents and guardians of students at Surrey Traditional School, McLeod Road Traditional School and Cloverdale Traditional School to inform decisions on future enrolment management in growing neighbourhoods.
The district is investigating one of the recommendations of the Long-Range Facilities Plan (LRFP) to “initiate a review of the traditional program and its current capacity and site utilization across the district.” The LRFP is a Ministry of Education and Child Care requirement that outlines strategy for balancing enrolment with available school capacity and was informed by a survey of 8,200 members of the public. At present, the district is short more than 6,500 student seats and anticipates this shortfall to exceed 13,500 by 2032.
At the public board meeting, the Surrey Board of Education approved a motion directing staff to engage in a consultation on converting the three traditional schools into catchment elementary schools, with a report to be presented to the board Dec. 11, 2024. Board Policy 9200 (School Catchment Areas) states that Programs of Choice, such as traditional schools, “will be offered only in space surplus to the needs of the neighbourhood school program or in space leased for a specific program need.”
Now through Nov. 12, parents and guardians are invited to provide feedback through an online survey, by email at consultations@surreyschools.ca or through paper feedback forms at their school.
Note: Following the consultation, if the board decides to convert traditional schools into elementary catchment schools, all current traditional school students and their siblings will be able to remain at their current school.
“Although we’re getting a lot of new schools and additions and prefabs, it’s just not enough to keep up with the growth in the district,” said Surrey Board of Education Vice-Chair Gary Tymoschuk at the Oct. 9 public board meeting.
“Because of that growth, we have to look at every idea that’s before us as options to be able to accommodate the students who will be moving into our city.”
Converting traditional schools is the latest of several alternative solutions and potential mitigation strategies being considered or already implemented to reduce overcrowding, which include:
- hybrid learning models for Grade 10 to 12 students and year-round, tri-semester schooling;
- starting the current school year with extended day schedules at six secondary schools;
- closing Bayridge Elementary and Latimer Road Elementary to new in-catchment students;
- relocating the Montessori Program of Choice from Latimer Road Elementary and directing new kindergarten request to programs at Douglas Elementary and Mountainview Montessori;
- and continuously evaluating existing school catchment boundaries to manage enrolment.
In addition to the online survey, families are invited to attend an in-person community forum to give feedback and ask district staff questions. The forum is scheduled for:
- November 6, 2024, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Resource & Education Centre (14123 92nd Ave., Room 304)
The consultation period runs through November 12, 2024. Staff will compile community input and comments into a report for the superintendent, to be presented at the Surrey Board of Education meeting on December 11th, 2024. Please share your feedback during this time.
For more information, visit surreyschools.ca/consultations
