Langley Township Mayor Jack Froese is confident a high school will be built in Willoughby — sooner rather than later.
His comment comes after Froese, along with school district superintendent Suzanne Hoffman and Board of Education vice-chair Rob McFarlane went to Victoria on Oct. 27 to meet with Minister of Education Peter Fassbender, his top staff and Langley MLA Mary Polak to talk about the urgent need for a high school on the slope.
Aldergrove-Fort Langley MLA Rich Coleman couldn’t make it. This meeting was “a long time coming,” said Froese.
“It was important that all of us were there united in a common goal. The Township isn’t in charge of building schools but we take responsibility for neighbourhood plans,” he said.
“Our role is to plan neighbourhoods that are livable and walkable.”
What they heard from the ministry is they are very warm to the idea of Langley submitting a solid plan for the where, how and what a high school would look like on the slope.
And while the government paid for the last three schools to be built in Willoughby over the past five years, it dropped a bombshell this year, saying all school districts now had to come up with 50 per cent of the capital funding for any new school project.
“Our sense is the ministry has softened to the whole idea around school districts having to supply 50 per cent of the capital funds to build schools. It is ‘up to’ 50 per cent,” said Froese.
Currently, Langley has $4 million it could contribute to a new high school, which is estimated to cost around $50 to $60 million. At the last board of education meeting, trustees unanimously approved a motion from McFarlane asking that staff identify school properties that could be sold to help pay for a new high school.
A high school takes four years to build. But with developers buying up most of the land in Willoughby, is there 10 acres or more of land available for a high school?
That is still very much the unknown.
“We are actively working on securing a site for a high school but there is a lot of work to do. I think we are up for the challenge,” said Froese.
It could involve a land swap with the Township, it could involve a current school site or green space site.
After the last election, Froese and board chair Wendy Johnson came up with the idea to create a liaison committee that would share information and collaboration on common issues, like building schools. Prior to that, communication between the Township and school board was “non-existent,” said Johnson.
Now the strength of working together has helped bolster Langley’s case for a new high school, both Johnson and Froese said.
In the meeting with the government, the ministry has also made the rare move asking Langley School District to re-submit a capital plan, something no other district is being asked to do right now, Johnson pointed out.
“Langley is one of the fastest growing areas in the province,” said Johnson. “In Willoughby, we have built three schools on time and under budget. The ministry really likes our track record.”
Around 1,760 students attend those three schools, which are either at capacity or over.
But building schools larger is not a wise move, suggests Froese.
“We should build schools according to the life cycle of a community. When you look at Willoughby, it is young families buying these homes. But as time goes on, their children get older, these families stay in their homes and the neighbourhood demographics change,” said Froese. “Then you end up with fewer students and a large, emptier school.”
That’s why portables attached to each new school is a much better way of deciding the size of a school, he said.
And the ministry has decided it doesn’t like Alberta’s modular school model, said Johnson.
“They do serve the need because yes they can go up fast but they are meant to be mobile.
“What they are seeing in Alberta is those modular schools stay put in that one spot,” Johnson said.
