Youngsters across Greater Victoria will be putting away the beach toys and picking up their pens and pencils as classes return for a new school year next week.
This will be the final year before new catchment boundaries take effect at many Greater Victoria schools. Changes set to take effect in the 2020/21 school year for the Greater Victoria School District will eliminate all ‘schools of choice.’
ALSO READ: Greater Victoria School District’s new catchment boundaries eliminate ‘programs of choice’
“After a lengthy consultation process and multiple proposals, the board has landed on a solution that we feel best addresses the issue of overcrowding in our schools,” said SD 61 board chair Jordan Watters. “This has not been an easy decision for the board, however, we are confident that the latest recommendations will provide a long-term solution and best accommodate the needs of families across our current 47 schools.”
The changes mean South Park Family School, Cloverdale Traditional School and École Beausoleil Victoria (the Bank Street facility) will become catchment schools – a change introduced to address population density in the core areas of Victoria and Saanich. The facility on Bank Street will become a single-track school and no longer offer French immersion.
ALSO READ: Victoria school district heads into final phase of catchment boundary consultations
We want to know what you think about the changes. Take our poll and let us know if you’re satisfied with the catchment boundaries for your local schools.