School board trustees backed away Tuesday night from a first-come, first-serve approach to registering for choice programs at kindergarten in favour of giving preference to children who already have a sibling in the program.
The decision was made in passing a revised policy for catchment areas and student transfers. following a 60-day consultation period that drew plenty of response. Although considered a minor revision, trustees agreed to put the proposal through the consultation process in anticipation that there would be much comment.
In cases where there are more students than a choice program can accommodate, registrations will be accepted in a descending order of priority beginning with the sibling of a child who is in the program, followed by other children within the school district and then those from outside the district.
During the consultation, parents had raised concerns about the possibility of having to drive their children to separate schools and the social and psychological impacts of making siblings attending separate schools. Registration would be turned into a "typing competition" under first-come, first-serve, it was also said.
The policy also designated the entire school district as the catchment area for choice schools and programs. Trustee Roxanne Ricard had problems with that and called for giving children in the neighbourhood the next level of priority after siblings.
She stressed the scenario of the single parent with four children who would not be able to drive across the district to another school in making her case.
Some 70 per cent of the students in French immersion at College Heights elementary are live outside the neighbourhood while Lac des Bois is at about one-third capacity.
Supt. Brian Pepper also noted such a system is already in place for the aboriginal choice school at Carney Hill.
Trustee Lois Boone cast doubt on Ricard's proposal saying it would 'be an absolute nightmare to establish a catchment area within a catchment area." Ricard was the only trustee to vote in favor of a neighbourhood catchment for choice schools and programs.
In instances where there is not enough room for all newcomers with a sibling in the program, trustees voted 4-3 to turn adopt a lottery system that would be put in place with the superintendent establishing the procedures. Those in favour were Lois Boone, Sharel Warrington, Roxanne Ricard and Valentine Crawford. Those against were Rhonda White, Lyn Hall and Trish Bella.
