Kevin Parnell
Black Press
The issue of catchment areas at the three elementary schools in Lake Country has been settled, at least for now.
The Central Okanagan School District has voted to support a motion from staff that has adjusted the catchment areas for the three elementary schools.
It closes the book on the issue of where elementary students will attend school in Lake Country with Davidson Road Elementary still over-capacity, Peter Greer near capacity and Oyama Traditional below capacity.
“It’s a decision that had to be made,” said chairperson Moyra Baxter.
“Registration starts Feb. 1 and parents needed to know the board’s decision. How long of a term this will be in place remains to be seen. Lake Country is the fastest growing municipality in B.C. and if the numbers keep increasing we may have to look at this again. Hopefully it will last a few years and by that time we will have a middle school in Lake Country to relieve the pressure.”
After a year-long consultation period, school board trustees shifted the catchments to move students living in the Woodsdale Road area to Oyama Traditional School and students living in the SouthWest quadrant of Lake Country to Peter Greer (not including the Sage Glen subdivision).
The issue divided Lake Country last year when an initial recommendation to the board would have moved students living in the new Lake’s subdivision to Oyama, instead of Davidson Road.
Hundreds of parents showed up at a board meeting to voice their concerns and the board tabled a decision and went back to the community for more consultation before coming to its decision.
Most of the growth in Lake Country in past years has been in the Davidson Road catchment area and the school remains over-capacity.
But Baxter said trustees supported the motion from staff and now the community must move forward.
“It is a solution to the problem for the moment,” she said.
“Davidson Road is still over-subscribed but there is enough space for the kids. So we will wait and see how it all works.”
