By Korie Marshall
Registration is now open for Kindergarten in all School District 57 elementary schools. Children whose fifth birthday falls on or before December 31, 2014 are eligible to enter Kindergarten in September 2014.
With the recent BC Teachers Federation court decision affecting class size, Sarah Holland, Chair of the Prince George district Parent Advisory Council cautions that schools may have more capacity issues in the new school year.
The BC Supreme Court ruled in January that the province must retroactively restore class size and composition language that was removed from teachers’ contracts in 2002, as well as paying the Teachers Federation $2 million in damages. In 2002, Kindergarten class sizes were capped at 20, while grades 1 to 3 were capped at 22. Today, those limits are 22 and 24, so if the ruling holds, class sizes will drop by two students. Minister of Education Peter Fassbender announced last week the government will appeal the court decision.
According to School District 57’s website, the deadline for registering was February 11. Missing that deadline could affect your chances to get your child into a different school than your catchment, but Holland acknowledges it is not such an issue in areas like Valemount and McBride where there is only one school. However she notes registering early is helpful for the school administration, as they start planning now based on current registration and past years.
Holland also warns that if you have more than one child and you are registered at a school that is not your catchment school, you may not get all your children in to that school. She suggests bringing that to the attention of the Board if it is a concern for you.
