Replacing Glenmerry Elementary School – the only public grade school left in Trail – took a big leap forward last week when the ministry announced it was advancing the concept to a second stage.
“What we’ve submitted so far has been rationale, where we’ve described the state of the school,” explained Bill Ford, Kootenay Columbia’s superintendent. “And we’ve submitted the long-range facilities plan with our projections for student enrolment. So what this next step, called a Project Definition Report, asks us to do is actually roll up our sleeves and start really thinking about what it would look like if we replaced the school.”
Read more: Push for new elementary school in Glenmerry
Read more: Starbucks baristas donate $7,000 in tips to Trail area schools
A planner from the ministry will be visiting Trail this spring to help with the report, which must give a detailed assessment of all facets of the project’s scope such as engineering and design, environmental impacts and associated risks, as well as, of course, the cost.
“So it’s a pretty deep dive in terms of having a good look at what replacing Glenmerry would entail,” said Ford. “And that document is due to the ministry in September.”
After that, Ford could only speculate on a timeline for replacement.
“It would just be me guessing,” he said. “We just know if we pass this step, then the last step is for the ministry to actually determine what the funding would look like. And, I must say, our crew does an amazing job of maintaining these old facilities, but at the end of the day, these buildings do have a life span,” he added.
“So it’s exciting to have one of our older buildings looked at. It’s awesome.”
Ford concluded that the district remains “cautiously optimistic.”
Those words were echoed by strong advocates in Glenmerry PAC (Parents Advisory Council). Of note, this objective of a school replacement was only submitted to the province last year. The parties agree its advancement came as a result of mutual respect, by working together towards a common goal.
“This is incredibly exciting news for our community but we are staying cautiously optimistic,” Lisa Babcock, PAC chair told the Trail Times. “This definitely does give us hope, it also shows the effectiveness of respectful collaboration. We are lucky to have a great relationship with our staff at Glenmerry as well as with board trustees,” Babcock said.
“By working together we can continue to build a strong, safe and enjoyable school community for our children.”
The 251-seat school was built in 1959 for children living in Glenmerry. It was never meant for elementary students living outside the neighbourhood.
This year alone, there’s 372 students enrolled in K-Grade 7. The school’s capacity is 389, including 138 seats added via six portables, so the facility is running near full capacity.
“We as a PAC and our school community started to send letters via email and mail to the Education Minister Rob Fleming and MLA Katrina Conroy to garner attention for our school,” Babcock explained.
To show the need for a new school, the parents’ group also hosted two open houses, which included a tour with past mayor Mike Martin, current mayor Lisa Pasin, City of Trail councilors, local businessmen and school board trustees.
“They saw the over-population of the school during peak times,” Babcock said.
“They were able to see the problems that need to be addressed to ensure the students are given every opportunity to be successful in school.”
The lack of private rooms for support services and exposed natural gas lines in the school’s hallways are examples Babcock highlighted as a few areas of concern.
“We all know that this new school is needed,” she said. “And we are hoping that our continued advocacy will help bring this project forward.”
