Vancouver School Board begins closure hearings

The Vancouver School Board will hold the first in a series of 10 public meetings on Monday to determine which of five east side schools might be closed to control its budget deficit.

The board estimates it still needs to cut $9.6 million dollars from its budget next year and says some of the schools will have to be closed because of their declining enrollment.

The first meeting on Monday night will focus on Sir Guy Carleton Elementary School, but the meeting will be held at Windermere Secondary School.

But local MLA Adrian Dix has been pushing to keep Carleton open because it's relatively full, operating at 73 per cent of its capacity. Closing it would mean sending its 376 students to as many as 8 other schools, says Dix.

"A breathing school community would in effect be exploded into eight other communities," he said at a rally on Sunday to save the school.

Ann Wong, whose children attend Carleton, described the school as an anchor in the community "because it has very, very long history in Vancouver. It has great teachers."

She also notes it offers subsidized meal programs, and has a high heritage ranking.

The public meetings are scheduled to run until November 9, and the school board trustees are expected to vote on any closures by December.