Student numbers will need to add up
School District 47 received a Christmas gift from the provincial government this year—notice of an audit.
The ministry of education will be performing a student enrolment audit at Brooks Secondary School and Westview Learning Centre, an alternate high school program which operates out of the district administration building on Ontario Avenue.
“Actually it’s good news,” said Jay Yule, superintendent of schools for the district. He explained that enrolment audits are much less complicated compared to those done for other programs offered by the district. He described it as an audit to ensure the students reported to be there are actually there. “It’s quite straightforward, something we’re quite comfortable with.”
There are currently 2,026 students enrolled throughout the school district’s various programs with 785 at Brooks and 33 at Westview Learning Centre.
Bus money
Powell River Board of Education trustees adopted a motion to accept close to $135,000 from the ministry of education for the purchase of replacement school buses, during its December public meeting.
“They are smaller buses,” said Steve Hopkins, secretary treasurer, “and would augment our small fleet for out-of-town transportation and special ed field trips within the school district.”
The two buses have capacities of 24 and 30 students and include areas for cargo. Drivers need a class four licence to operate them.
Henderson update
Seismic and building upgrading work at Henderson Elementary School continues to be ahead of schedule. “While the bulk of the work is already complete, by the time school resumes there will only be a few miscellaneous things left,” Hopkins reported to the board at its December public meeting. Almost 70 per cent of the siding has already been installed in the upgrade to the building’s envelope, but some painting and window coverings have yet to be completed, Hopkins said.
During winter break, the contractors have been working on a lighting and seismic upgrade to the school’s gym and new exterior doors at the front of the school.
Hopkins expects the main contractor to be off the site by mid-January.
The district is currently working on a grant application for funds to cover boiler upgrades at Henderson, James Thomson and Edgehill elementary schools.
