Langley Board of Education made the correct decision for the school community, in voting to keep a downsized Langley Secondary School open. The 5-2 vote on Feb. 17 went against an administration recommendation to close the school.
Students, teachers and parents all made good cases as to why the school should stay open. Among the points they made was the need for minimal disruption to students; the expense of renovations to other schools if LSS was closed; and the strides LSS has made in serving a wide variety of students.
However, with the board decision comes some significant challenges. There is a pressing need for another secondary school in Willoughby, and the province wants the school district to contribute a significant sum of local capital to the project. If LSS was closed, $20 million that has been allotted for seismic upgrades could be used as capital for the Willoughby project. Now it will not be available, as it will need to be used at LSS.
There will also be some disruptions at LSS in the future, as it is likely a significant portion of the school will be torn down, and other areas renovated, to deal with seismic issues.
Perhaps most importantly, how will the provincial government react to the trustees’ decision? As shown by its recent decision to require school districts to significantly cut administration costs, the province is keeping a very close eye on how districts spend money.
Will the province demand that the school district sell off unused sites, and perhaps pressure it into closing more schools and selling those sites, to find enough funds to put towards the Willoughby project?
Or will it simply not approve a Willoughby high school until a significant sum of capital has accumulated? If that is the case, R.E. Mountain Secondary may continue to be hopelessly overcrowded for many years to come.
