North Vancouver School District
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News Item

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Elementary Summer School Cancelled

May 30, 2014

At the May, 27, 2014 Public Meeting, the North Vancouver Board of Education approved the cancellation of the 2014 Elementary Summer School program. Due to limited funding for the program, and an inability to charge fees to ensure that all costs are covered, the School District is unable to offer the elementary program without incurring considerable costs that impact the delivery of other core services.

The Board acknowledges that parents of elementary students have appreciated the opportunity to enroll their children in summer school and the additional support that it has provided to learners. A study is planned for the 2014/15 school year to determine the feasibility of re-developing the elementary summer program to more specifically address the needs of students requiring additional support.
 
The Grade 7-8 transition program has been maintained, and the secondary summer program will continue with its focus on supporting students’ graduation requirements.

FAQs
Why was the elementary program cancelled, but not the secondary?
The intention for summer school is to provide additional services that may be needed by some students in order to graduate. Grade 7/8 Transition, remedial secondary course offerings and Grades 10 to 12 full credit courses directly further this purpose. The secondary program, supported in part by International Student enrolment, can typically be offered at a break-even basis. The elementary program requires subsidization by the Board that draws funding away from core services.

Isn’t summer school a core education service?
Not at the elementary level. In recent years, the School District has offered a broadened summer program for elementary students that is not required by the Ministry of Education.
 
Is this a permanent decision? Will there be summer school for elementary students next year?
The current Summer School program for students K to 7 will no longer be offered in the North Vancouver School District. In the Fall of 2014, a study will begin to research the design of a program that will better support elementary students with their learning needs. Any future design of summer learning for elementary students is expected to reflect the subsequent recommendations from this research.

Why is funding insufficient for the elementary summer program?

There are two key factors that significantly impact the costs of operating elementary summer programs in our school district.  Although the Ministry provides limited per pupil funding for summer school, it is not sufficient to cover the costs of operating the program—particularly at the elementary level. Moreover, the School District is not permitted to charge fees to recover the costs of operating the summer program.

A print copy is available here