Robson Valley residents react to proposed school consolidation

By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG

School District 57 board members reviewed a report on the state of the district’s facilities during a January 28th meeting which recommended consolidating Valemount and McBride schools within the next ten years due to declining enrolment. 

According to the report, both communities will see a nominal decline in full-time enrolment over the next 10 years: an 8.4 per cent decline in McBride, and a 5.3 per cent decline in Valemount. As this would result in the elementary and secondary schools in both communities being under capacity, the report recommends closing the McBride and Valemount elementary schools and moving all students into the secondary schools.

Reactions to the recommendation range from skepticism to outright disapproval.

Chair of the Valemount Secondary School Parent Advisory Council Shanon Manahan told The Goat she does not think consolidation is a practical idea.

“There [has] been some talk about this before and it just didn’t seem feasible,” Manahan said, citing concerns about negative interactions between older and younger students as well as limited room in the secondary school.

McBride resident Hazel Sprecher agreed that the consolidation may be harmful for younger children. Similarly, McBride resident Lucille Mintz said there are other cost-saving measures the school district could implement before closing elementary schools.

“If this is about School District 57’s budget, maybe they should look into the high cost of [principals], teachers and staff going on out of town trips,” Mintz said.

In an interview with The Goat, Robson Valley school board trustee Bob Thompson said he has heard concerns about the proposed consolidation from many local parents.

Thompson emphasized that the consolidation is not currently being considered by the board, but he will oppose the recommendation should it come up for discussion.

“Both Valemount and McBride are communities that are struggling… another empty building on our main streets would not be a good thing for our town,” Thompson said, adding that a lack of schools may discourage families looking to move to the valley.

Closing schools may not have an immediate financial benefit for the school district, Thompson added.

“The building, until it’s sold, will have to be maintained,” he said. “It’ll have to be heated in the wintertime, it’ll have to have maintenance done. There will still be costs associated with the school, even though there are no students in it.”

Thompson said he is not sure that the Robson Valley will see the declining enrolment predicted by the board.

“In Dunster, my community, we have several young families that have moved in with young children,” he said. “Those numbers [in the report] may not bear out.”

If the board does begin to consider consolidation, it will solicit public feedback and have several open meetings before making a final decision, Thompson said.

“It’s a 10-year plan – we’re talking about 2035. That’s a long ways off,” he added. “There’s no discussion at the current time to do any of the things the consultant recommended.”

However, Thompson encourages Robson Valley residents to continue following school board affairs.

“It’s not time to panic yet, but stay vigilant. Keep listening,” he said. “I’m not saying that it could never happen… but remember, it’s just a report.”