A new school district facility report is forecasting a number of financial decisions dealing with School District 57's used and vacant properties that trustees will have to address in the fall.
The report, presented to the board Tuesday and released online Wednesday, discussed the 41 properties in use as well as the 18 considered surplus.
"Despite the closure of 21 schools since 2001/02, the capacity in the district is still considered under-utilized as the enrolment continues to decline due to a decreasing school age population," the report said.
In May 2014 the previous school board approved a motion to talk with senior administration about addressing sustainability and long term viability in the school district.
Those discussions have yet to happen.
But, the board promised it would address the facility report in the fall, when it also gets a report from its recent strategic planning sessions.
"No decisions have been made," chairperson Tony Cable stressed in a press release.
"We will begin that work, including consultation with our education partners and the community, in the fall."
Of the 41 operating facilities, several are well below their ideal capacity, adding further strains on the budget.
Schools in the Robson Valley and Mackenzie have less than half the number of students they were built to accommodate.
Reed also spoke to the board about "significant physical condition challenges" some schools face. By the provincial standards, Spruceland, Kelly Road and Blackburn are rated as poor, and should be considered for demolition, the report said.
Three schools are excellent, two are average and 33 are fair.
The document, mandated report by the Ministry of Education, makes a number of recommendations that the board will consider come fall.
Some include shifting school catchment boundaries to redistribute student populations. Another suggested moving the French Immersion Program to Prince George secondary school, which has more than enough room for new students. Its current location in Duchess Park secondary school is already over capacity and forecasted to be 128 per cent capacity by 2023.
Of the 18 surplus properties, six closed and vacant schools present the biggest cost at $102,000 each year, said district secretary treasurer Allan Reed.
"It's the biggest piece of it on an ongoing basis," said Reed, while other sites are leased or are just land, presenting a minimal cost to the district.
"If we were to demolish those buildings or sell them that would be cost relief and that is one of the things the board needs to consider. Those schools are closed but the board has not yet taken the action which it needs to do before the ministry would approve any disposition."
Karen Wong, president of CUPE 3742, spoke at Tuesday's meeting of the costs of keeping up cold schools, including utility, repairs and heating in the winter.
"It's alarming," Wong said.
"We have grounds maintenance, security, vandalism of playground equipment that still has to be maintained within the community, fire alarms, phone lines - all are costs that continue even when a school building is empty."
Population decline
The facility problem is directly connected to the population decline in the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, which shares borders with the school district.
In 1996, at its peak, the district's population sat at 101,000. In 2014 the district's population was 93,645, down 548 from the previous year, according to BCStats. And, as slice of the total population, school-aged children present a more problematic picture.
Between 1991 and 2011, those youth went from 22 per cent of the population to 16 per cent.
The report projects population decline will end in 2016 and start to slowly rise, but not near enough to address the existing capacity numbers.
The total student enrolment for 2013 was 12,147, while the district's operating capacity is 14,108 students.
Since 2002, the district has closed 21 schools, but the report noted the board has not had discussions around school closures since 2010.
The recommendations
Adjusting Foothills, Heritage and Quinson school catchment areas in order to redistribute students from Foothills and Heritage to Quinson.
Continued efforts be made to dispose of surplus properties (vacant land or land and buildings.)
Those buildings in the poor category and coming to the end of their life cycle (Spruceland, Kelly Road, Blackburn) be considered for demolition to avoid becoming targets for vandalism, to reduce liability for the School District and to save on costs for their ongoing maintenance.
The French Immersion Program be relocated from Duchess Park secondary school to Prince George secondary.
An adjustment be made to the catchment boundary between Duchess Park and DP Todd to redistribute secondary students from DP Todd to Duchess Park, subsequent to space becoming available at Duchess Park after the relocation of the French Immersion program.
A funding request be made to the ministry in the district's five-year capital plan for the amalgamation or renovation/replacement of Blackburn and Buckhorn elementary schools.
