Abbotsford parents concerned about school district's K-5 plan

The Abbotsford school district is considering making ALL of its elementary schools K-5, and that would mean reconfiguring 6 rural schools that are currently K-7 in time for fall. But that has a lot of parents who have kids in those schools upset. Dawn Lewis, the vice-president of the Bradner Elementary PAC, says a lot of people don’t believe the middle school model is the right way to go.

“Studies are now being done, and have been for a few years now, in the US (because they were the ones who started the whole middle school configuration) and there is a huge comeback of the K through 8 model.  All of these school districts that have kept the middle school for the last twenty-something years….they’re now reverting back to the K through 8 structure.”

Some districts in Ontario have also followed suit.  She says parents are also concerned about having to move their 11 and 12 year olds from rural schools to inner city ones, and some are considering pulling their kids out of the district if this passes. The Abbotsford district, for its part, is holding a number of consultations with parents, and is welcoming feedback.  They held one Tuesday night at Upper Sumas, and there will be one Thursday night at Mt. Lehman Elementary and on the 26th at Aberdeen.

Lewis is encouraging parents to show up to these meetings, be respectful, and listen to what the district has to say, and if they’re still not satisfied, write letters expressing their disapproval.

Parents in these areas have even started a Facebook Group to chat about the issues.

The board votes on the plan at their February 23rd meeting.