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Armstrong school closure decision delayed

Armstrong Elementary School will remain open, at least for now

Armstrong Elementary School will remain open, at least for now.

North Okanagan-Shuswap trustees backed off on a plan Tuesday that would have seen the landmark school shut down this year. Instead, the consultation process about possible closure will run until April 2017.

“We’re very happy with the extension so we can gather more information,” said Kim Weston, part of a group of parents fighting to keep AES open.

“It deserves to have more time to look at. We want to be part of the solution and bolster schools in Armstrong.”

A task force will also be created to review demographic information, school configurations and catchment areas in Armstrong,

The school district had been under pressure to slow the decision-making process down.

“We wanted more time to explore the options for our area,” said Chris Pieper, Armstrong mayor.

Pieper isn’t sure what direction will be taken to maintain all of the schools in his community.

“It’s not an easy process because the school district is not in control of funding. But this gives the community and the school district time to look at programming and buildings. I hope we can find a solution.”

If AES had closed, there would have been kindergarten to Grade 7 at Len Wood (currently a middle school) and Highland Park Elementary. Pleasant Valley Secondary School would  have been Grade 8 to 12.

Kelly Rowe, Armstrong trustee, supports the extended consultation process and task force.

“I hope we can take a microscopic look at the budget and find ways to reduce expenses so we can keep the schools open,” she said.

One item to possibly be investigated by the task force is French immersion in Armstrong.

“Parents take their children into Vernon or Salmon Arm for classes. It’s about keeping kids in the community and filling seats,” she said.

Because the decision to delay closing Armstrong and Silver Creek schools has been delayed, there will be no savings for 2016/17 and the district faces a $1.3 million shortfall.

This could lead to cuts to libraries, music, gifted education, career programs, literacy interventions, alternate education programs, counselling services and speech therapy.

“Cuts are unavoidable, we can not balance the budget otherwise. By making the choice not to close schools, we are going to have to choose to cut programs,” said Bobbi Johnson, board chairperson. “What’s going to be cut? I don’t know right now, that will become part of our budget discussions.”

Rowe insists that residents, community leaders and trustees need to take the issue of education funding directly to the provincial government.

“There is something wrong provincewide when this is happening,” she said of cuts and school closures.

— with files from the Salmon Arm Observer