What will the decision be?

Senior management will present their recommendations to the Board of Education on March 5th. A number of U Hill parents are planning to go and listen to the revised plan.

COMMITTEE II/III
PLANNING AND FACILITIES / EDUCATION AND STUDENT SERVICES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, 2008 March 05 at 7:00 p.m.

Items Requiring Board Motion/Action

1.Educational Facilities Review – Phase 1 [Report to be provided at the meeting]

Media Visit U Hill Secondary

U Hill Secondary parents hosted media representatives on a tour of the deplorable conditions at U Hill Secondary. Over the lunch hour parents and media reps stepped over and around students as they crowded into the school hallways and science labs to eat lunch.

"This is a good day," said school principal Jill Philipchuk. "On a rainy day you wouldn't be able to squeeze through here, " principal Philipchuk said.

"We forget we are eating on the floor," said Grade 12 student Robin Eder-Warren. "But when you find rat feces beside your lunch you figure out something is wrong!"

U Hill Secondary was built for 325 students over 50 years ago. Today it houses 560 plus students. Once a gem in the middle of a forest, today's school looks more like a neglected trailer park with nine portables and a decaying main building. A current VSB proposal would replace the school with a renovated former research building and convert the current high school into a second campus elementary school. The fate of the VSB proposal hangs in the air as Trustees deliberate in the face of significant opposition from Dunbar area residents opposed to UBC area developments.

Presentations to the Trustees Feb 11, 12

On February 11 and 12, 2008 about 40 presentations were made to the Vancouver School Board regarding the proposal to close Queen Elizabeth Annex, conduct seismic upgrades to three schools, and rebuild schools in the University Hill area. Copies of presentations made on behalf of U Hill parents and community members can be found on the In Support of Public Education blog.

Educational Facilities Review Background

On January 10, 2008, VSB announced its Educational Facilities Review and its plan to collect feedback through a series of public meetings, surveys, school team reports, and delegate presentations to the Board of Trustees. At stake is a proposal to:

• Close Queen Elizabeth Annex;
• Carry out seismic renovations at Queen Mary, Jules Quesnel, and Queen Elizabeth; and
• Build 2 new schools at UBC.

Residents in UEL and UNA desperately need the 2 new schools recommended in the proposal. Although the provincial government, who is responsible for providing funds to build new schools, approved the expansion of the current UHill Secondary school from 325 to 675 student spaces, it did not approve funds to build a new elementary school due to excess space in the district.

In reviewing the district’s excess space, VSB identified Queen Elizabeth Annex (QEA) as a candidate for amalgamation with Queen Elizabeth. QEA offers both an English instruction program and a French Immersion program. Currently, there are 2 elementary schools with English instruction (QEA and Queen Elizabeth) and 2 elementary schools with French Immersion (QEA and Jules Quesnel) in the same catchment area QEA is located. VSB is recommending that both the English and French Immersion programs at QEA be moved into Queen Elizabeth.

Some parents feel that UBC should pay for a new school at its campus. On Friday, January 25, 2008, UBC issued a statement which was summarized in a Vancouver Sun Article. It states that although UBC, like other developers, is required to provide land for a new school, it is the provincial government that is responsible for providing funds to build new schools out of our taxes. Taxes which all homeowners in the UEL and UNA pay and are entitled to. A further, more detailed document was released to parent reps on Monday, January 28, 2008 which addressed specific questions parents of Queen Elizabeth Annex raised. This document made clear the mis-interpretation of planning documents by parents of QEA and recounted UBC’s proposal to finance the renovation of the NRC building into a new secondary school in return for a 30-yr lease to re-pay the cost. However, the proposal, which was subject to approval by the provincial government, was rejected due to its rules for funding capital projects.

Like other public entities, the VSB must work within a myriad of policies and regulations. VSB’s proposal is a result of more than 5 years of discussions involving parents, UBC, and VSB. Let’s not let it go to waste. Our fight for new schools is not over yet. Please tell VSB what you think (see email addresses to the right). Email rebuild.uhill@gmail.com with comments the school team can pass along to the Trustees who will be deciding the future of our schools.