UPDATE: The Kamloops-Thompson School District says class sizes for Parkcrest Elementary students won’t be impacted when they start school at a nearby facility next Monday.
Superintendent Alison Sidow says George Hilliard Elementary is smaller, and as a result the district will be bringing in portables to the school in Brock.
“Where we might see some pressure, is we only have 14 divisions and classrooms at George Hilliard, and we need 16. So initially, there’s a very large common room, and we may have to put two classes in there and have two teachers, and they’ll have to do some team-teaching and share the space.”
Sidow says the district is trying to make it as least-disruptive as possible to relocate the students in two existing programs at George Hilliard.
Meanwhile, Sidow says students with the Four Directions program – which will move to Happyvale Elementary – will be housed at the United Way on Tranquille Road in the interim, until Happyvale is ready to accommodate those students.
School District staff were also asked about sprinkler systems in schools, and say they are working to get all schools upgraded.
Secretary-treasurer Kelvin Stretch says the school district receives annual grant funding to upgrade schools, but he says that has to be spread out across Kamloops.
“The district has 26 schools that have sprinkler systems, which means we have, I believe 19 schools that do not… But it is a priority; we’re more interested in the safety aspects of the fire alarms and getting student and staff out of buildings if we have a problem. But we are continuing the sprinkler system issue,” he says.
“(Facilities) director (Art) MacDonald has prioritized a schedule on how schools will be updated for sprinkler systems, roofing, roll-down shutters, all of the basic envelope of a school.”
Stretch also says, after talking with the fire department, it is apparent that sprinklers would not have saved Parkcrest from last week’s massive blaze.
ORIGINAL: Students and staff at Parkcrest Elementary will finish the school year at nearby George Hilliard Elementary, NL News has learned.
The school, at 985 Holt St., houses the Twin Rivers Education Centre (TREC) and the Four Directions School, both of which will be moved.
TREC students will move to NorKam Senior Secondary School, while 4 Directions students will move to the former Happyvale Elementary at 655 Holt St., which now houses the Big Little Science Centre.
The science centre is expected to be relocated for the duration of these changes, which are to encompass the 2019/20 and 2020/21 school years, while Parkcrest Elementary is being rebuilt.
These changes were announced today at a parent-school district meeting, according to a few parents who say they were in that meeting. SD73 officials are expected to confirm the details at a press conference tomorrow morning.
At a press conference on Friday, school fficials said they had a preferred plan in mind, but would not share details. It is unclear if this is that preferred plan.
The relocations are to take effect on Sept. 16.
I spoke briefly to #Kamloops Thompson School board chair Kathleen Karpuk before talking to parents. She says @Kamloops_SD73 is waiting to comment until tomorrow, when they host a media conference at the school board office at 9am. #ParkcrestElementary #Kamloops @RadioNLNews
— Colton Davies (@ColtonDavies_) September 9, 2019
George Hilliard School new home of the ParkCrest Ravens. @Kamscan
— Rob Fryer (@RobFryer72) September 9, 2019
I should mention this information is what the parent group and parkcrest family is being told right now at the parent – school district occurring at this moment at brock middle school
— Rob Fryer (@RobFryer72) September 9, 2019
It will be a two year stay at George Hilliard
— Rob Fryer (@RobFryer72) September 9, 2019
