October 2, 2009 update: Carson Graham replacement school project
October 2, 2009
Capital Project Steering Committees have been established for the Carson Graham and the Balmoral communities:
Summary Notes - September 30, 2009
Summary Notes - June 17, 2009
Summary Notes - May 4, 2009
Summary Notes - April 20, 2009
Summary Notes - April 8, 2009
Summary Notes - March 25, 2009
For information about the Balmoral Steering Committee, please see Balmoral School Community Consultation.
September 3, 2009
The initial phase of demolition in preparation for rebuilding Carson Graham Secondary started in July. About one half of the school has been decommissioned and will not be accessible to staff and students when school reopens on September 8th. This phase of the project is expected to run through mid-March of 2010. This year, grades 10, 11 and 12 will continue to be taught at Carson while students in Grades 8, 9 will be relocated to Balmoral.
Please refer to the bus schedule for students needing transportation between Carson Graham and Balmoral.
-30-
May 4, 2009
Subject: The process for input into the proposed closure of Balmoral Junior Secondary School and consolidation with Carson Graham Secondary School
[Print Copy]
Board Policy 610: Closure of Schools (Permanent) provides for input into the proposed closures of schools. In regards to Balmoral Junior Secondary School and its potential closure and consolidation with Carson Graham Secondary School, the input process is solely coordinated through a “Balmoral Response Team” and a “Carson Graham Response Team”.
These Response Teams are officially recognized as the representative bodies that will provide the Board of Education with the response to the proposed closure of Balmoral and consolidation with Carson Graham Secondary.
In order to ensure that information is gathered in a coordinated manner and to assist with the preparation of the Report of the Balmoral Response Team and the Carson Graham Response Team, all parents and community members are requested to provide their input on the proposed closure of Balmoral and consolidation with Carson Graham School through their respective Response Teams. This will help ensure that accurate, clear and consistent information is being provided to our community regarding this important matter.
It appears that there may be some confusion in our community resulting from communications initiated by a group of parents who are advocating a particular position related to the potential closure of Balmoral.
Please note that any and all input on the potential closure/consolidation will be directed to the Response Teams.
Opportunities for input to the proposed closure of Balmoral and consolidation with Carson Graham have included the provision of Input forms at the proposed closure meeting, at the Towards the Future for Schools meetings held across the School District, and made available on the School District’s website at www.nvsd44.bc.ca.
The respective Response Teams will receive and collate all input provided through the completion of Input forms and all other written submissions to provide the perspective of the schools and their communities. Input forms and written submissions shall be provided to the Balmoral Response Team at brt@nvsd44.bc.ca and to the Carson Graham Response Team at crt@nvsd44.bc.ca by no later than Friday, May 15, 2009 for consideration in the reports of the Response Teams to the Board of Education.
Thank you for your cooperation.
John Lewis
Superintendent of Schools
April 6, 2009
The North Vancouver Board of Education is committed to its vision--to provide world-class instruction and a rich diversity of engaging programs to inspire success for every student and bring communities together to learn, share, and grow.
Declining enrolment, aging facilities, and funding restraint are the expected realities that will impact planning decisions for the next decade. Fewer students mean less funding and more unused space. The Board of Education must make difficult decisions to address these issues while maintaining its focus on providing rich educational opportunities for students in welcoming, safe, and sustainable facilities that enhance the learning and teaching environment.
As the Board of Education has decided to proceed with the consideration of the consolidation of Balmoral Junior Secondary School and Carson Graham Secondary School, with the potential closure of Balmoral School in June 2012, a consultative process is now proceeding in accordance with Policy 610: Closure of Schools (Permanent). This process provides all members of the School District and its community with opportunities for input with consideration by the Board.
The consultation process includes public meetings, input opportunities, the coordination of response reports from schools, and careful consideration of alternatives to a potential closure. The Board of Trustees is interested in receiving your input into the proposed closure of Balmoral. Your input will assist the Board of Education in its decision-making process.
On April 1, 2009, the Board held a Community Consultation Meeting at Balmoral Junior Secondary School.
Community Consultation Presentation - April 1, 2009
Pertinent Data and Information - Factors for Consideration
Input Form - Proposal to Consider School Closure and Consolidation
For more information about the Balmoral / Carson Graham Capital Project consultation process, please see Balmoral School Community Consultation.
More information is also available at Towards the Future For Schools
February 16, 2009
Community Meeting on February 5, 2009 - Follow Up Information
A public meeting was held at Sutherland Secondary School on February 5, 2009 to discuss the Capital Project for the replacement of Carson Graham Secondary School. We have collated the table group responses and a summary is attached.
Assistant Superintendent Dave Pearce will be attending a portion of the Balmoral and Carson Graham Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meetings this week. He will be available to answer preliminary questions and discuss the next steps. Mr. Pearce will also be putting out a call for a representative steering committee to assist us with the transition plan.
The tenants in Balmoral School will be contacted at the earliest opportunity by Sandy Shaw, the School District’s Manager of Community and Business Development, to determine their needs and whether we have space available to accommodate them in one or some of our current school buildings.
We will be providing you with regular updates and notice of any community meetings to discuss the project.
Jane Thornthwaite
Chairperson
Board of Education
February 10, 2009
Community Meetings - Capital Projects - February 5, 2009
Thank you to everyone who came out to learn more and share their thoughts on the recently announced Capital Projects for Ridgeway, Queen Mary and Carson Graham Schools last Thursday evening at Ridgeway and Sutherland Schools. We are grateful to have been awarded $70 million dollars of Ministry funds for the seismic upgrades and replacement schools in addition to our partnership with the City of North Vancouver to assist us with the costs of Heritage Restoration.
Not only do we appreciate the input we received from the students, parents, and staff from the schools named in these projects, we also appreciate the input from Ridgeway Annex, Balmoral, Cloverley and all feeder schools who will be equally affected.
We have taken the feedback from the February 5, 2009 public information / consultation meeting and will devise a plan for moving forward with these projects. Our website will be regularly updated.
These Capital projects are different from our recent new school openings such as Westview, Sutherland, and soon to be Highlands capital projects, because we are not afforded the opportunity to build an entirely new school adjacent to the old school where the students, parents, and staff can still attend. The Ridgeway, Queen Mary, and Carson Graham projects will require that all or some of the students be moved from their school during the duration of the construction. Not only will this disrupt the students currently in these schools, but also the schools and buildings where the students will be moved to.
We will work with any displaced program or service to identify opportunities for accommodation in one or some of our buildings that will have space available. This process is currently underway. However, we believe that if we look at the long term picture of building three new schools, and work together over the transition process, the outcome will be fabulous for our community and the future direction of the School District.
Jane Thornthwaite
Chairperson
Board of Education
February 5, 2009
A public consultation meeting was held at Sutherland Secondary School to discuss the Carson Graham REPLACEMENT SCHOOL Capital Project. An overview of the project background, timelines, and key questions and answers is posted below.
Carson Graham Public Consultation Meeting on February 5, 2009
December 17, 2008
|
|
|
MLA Katherine Whittred (left) and Board of
Education Chairperson Jane Thornthwaite |
On Wednesday, December 17, 2008 the Ministry of Education announced $70 million in funding for the seismic renovations to Ridgeway Elementary, Queen Mary Elementary and the partial replacement of Carson Graham Secondary. Ridgeway Elementary and Queen Mary Elementary will both undergo exterior restoration and extensive interior reconstruction. The Province will contribute $32.4 million and the North Vancouver Board of Education will contribute nearly $6.6 million to cover the additional costs of heritage restoration at the two schools. Sections of Carson Graham having "high" seismic risk will be replaced by a seismically-sound building at a cost of $38 million.
The announcement was made on behalf of the Ministry by MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale Katherine Whittred in the library of Ridgeway Elementary. Following the announcement, Jane Thornthwaite, chairperson of the North Vancouver Board of Education, gave the following address:
Announcing not one, but three new capital projects of this magnitude is a tremendous advancement for our School District. I would like to thank the new Board of Education for its responsiveness in approving the project plans to allow the School District to bring these projects to the Ministry before the end of the year. As well, the support of the dedicated staff in facilities and planning created professional plans of a very high caliber and we appreciate their good work.
The Ministry of Education’s approval and funding of the Queen Mary, Ridgeway and Carson Graham projects is a strong affirmation of our vision, as a school district, to provide welcoming, safe and sustainable facilities that enhance the learning and teaching environment. We appreciate that the Ministry supports the significance of these projects beyond seismic upgrades to create schools for the 21st century.
Beginning in September of 2009 with Ridgeway Elementary, followed by Carson Graham in 2010 and Queen Mary in 2011, each school should take about two years to complete. At the end of the process, we will have three outstanding new schools, with the front facades of Queen Mary and Ridgeway rebuilt in the heritage style so valued by the city and their neighborhoods. We know we embark on this work with the support of the community, and we are particularly appreciative of the Ridgeway Heritage Society’s dedication to preserving the heritage values of Ridgeway School. We will continue our community consultation process in the New Year to ensure the needs of parents and students are fully considered during the construction phase of each school.
We are truly grateful to the City of North Vancouver, for its fullest support in providing the options and transferable density we needed to fully fund the restoration components of the Ridgeway and Queen Mary projects. This partnership with the City could potentially serve as a standard throughout the British Columbia of how communities, municipalities and the Province can work together to honour the past while building for the future.
Thank you again, and congratulations to everyone.
Jane Thornthwaite
Chairperson
North Vancouver
Board of Education
Please consult our earlier December update for more information on these projects and the next phase of public consultation.
The full release from the Ministry of Education is presented here.
|
|
|
City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto, Board of Education
Chairperson Jane Thornthwaite and MLA Katherine Whittred
with students on the front steps of Ridgeway Elementary |
Carson Graham Renovation and Replacement Capital Project Agreement between the Minister of Education and the Board of Education of School District No. 44 (North Vancouver)
December 11, 2008
Overview
At their December 9 meeting, the North Vancouver Board of Education approved the capital project bylaws and Master Agreement for Ridgeway and Queen Mary heritage restoration projects and the construction of a Carson Graham Secondary replacement school. Based on these approvals, the agreement will be submitted to the Ministry of Education before the 2008 Christmas break for consideration and approval. While we await the Ministry’s decision on the project plans, we will move forward in the New Year with community consultation to address the temporary relocation process for students during the construction phases of each building.
The progress we have made in the planning of these projects exemplifies the North Vancouver School District’s vision “to provide welcoming, safe and sustainable facilities that enhance the learning and teaching environment.” Replacing Carson Graham Secondary and rebuilding Ridgeway and Queen Mary in their heritage style create greater long-term value for all three buildings and all will meet current standards for seismic resistance.
Potential construction start dates
Two years is the standard timeline required to build a school.
Ridgeway – anticipated construction start: September 2009
Carson Graham – anticipated construction start: September 2010
Queen Mary – anticipated construction start: September 2011
Questions & Answers
General
Why did the board approve these capital project agreements for Ridgeway, Queen Mary and Carson Graham at this time?
Carson Graham and Queen Mary schools were both identified as high priority for seismic upgrades several years ago. Ridgeway was approved in 2004 as a possible replacement project with similar seismic needs. The Ministry of Education is committed to improving its progress on facilitating and funding seismic upgrades for schools throughout the province.
Significant background research, feasibility studies and long-term planning has gone in to each project proposal. Preparing the Carson Graham plan required extensive meetings and consultation with the Ministry of Education to ensure understanding of the higher long-term value in replacing the school, rather than only performing a seismic upgrade. The heritage qualities of Ridgeway and Queen Mary created cost challenges for the Board. After extensive consultation with community representatives and the City of North Vancouver an innovative approach to source the additional funding required for Ridgeway to extend the project beyond seismic upgrades and secure the heritage values of the building was developed. The knowledge gained through this consultation and planning process has been applied to advance the Queen Mary project.
Carson Graham Secondary
Why is the capacity for Carson Graham proposed as 800?
The Ministry of Education determined, based on projected enrollment decline, that capacity to accommodate 800 students is appropriate for the new school. However, the core amenity space for Carson will be built to accommodate 1,100 students. In this way, the possibility of increased capacity is available if needed. Capacity will be revisited in the community consultation process, and the flexibility remains to consider a larger school.
Will Carson students need to be relocated during the construction phase?
Yes, beginning in September 2009. It’s anticipated that approximately 240 Carson Graham students will need to be temporarily relocated for the construction period. Many of these students will be temporarily accommodated at Balmoral Junior Secondary School. We have the capacity to accommodate all of the students within the School District.
Why can’t the new school be built on a different part of property to allow Carson student to remain in the “old school” during construction?
Carson Graham does not have the physical space to build the new school on a different portion of property. A process of selective destruction of the existing school will be undertaken, during which a portion of the student population will be relocated to Balmoral.
|