Outcomes - 2019 Catchment Reviews

From March to May 2019, the North Vancouver School District undertook two catchment reviews to determine the feasibility of changing catchment areas to balance enrolment between schools. After receiving community feedback and analyzing suggestions and concerns, both proposed catchment changes will be implemented for the 2020-21 school year.

1.    Capilano Elementary School and Norgate Community Elementary School

Capilano Elementary School is currently operating at 89% capacity. Since 2015-16, cross-boundary enrolment has been limited at the school. The school can now only accommodate in-catchment students. Enrolment projections demonstrate that enrolment will continue to rise. By 2025 the school will be operating over capacity and will no longer be able to accommodate all catchment students. Enrolment pressure at Capilano Elementary School needs to be relieved.

Norgate Community Elementary School is currently operating at 53% capacity. Enrolment projections demonstrate that the school will continue to operate under capacity for the next decade and beyond.

The catchment change will move a small portion in the south-west section of the current Capilano Elementary School catchment area into the Norgate Community Elementary School catchment area. The area that will be moved is located west of Capilano Road between Marine Drive to the south and the Upper Levels Highway to the north. It encompasses Fullerton Ave, Glenaire Dr, Belle Isle Pl, Curling Rd, Sandown Pl, McLallen Crt, and the Woodcroft Residential Complex area.

Engagement

Promotion of feedback opportunities:

• March 19 – Information posted to the North Vancouver School District website
• April 11 – Email to staff at Capilano Elementary and Norgate Elementary with invitation to staff consultations
• April 11 – Email invitation to Squamish Nation with invitation to a consultation with Squamish Nation
• April 15 – Email to parents at Capilano Elementary and Norgate Elementary with invitation to community consultation event
• April 17 – Advertise community consultation event in North Shore News
• April 18 – Email to all staff and all parents in the North Vancouver School District with invitation to community consultation event
• April 29 – Email to all staff and all parents in the North Vancouver School District with invitation to community consultation event
• April 23-29 – Advertise community consultation event on school district and Capilano/Norgate websites
• April 23-29 – Advertise community consultation event on social media
• May 7-10 – Door-to-door delivery, to homes in the study area, of an information handout with an invitation to provide email feedback
  

Public consultation meetings:

• Thursday, May 2, 2019, 7 p.m., Norgate Community Elementary School

Five people attended

• Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 6 p.m., Chief Joe Mathias Centre

Six people attended

 Feedback:

• Three forms were received at the public consultation meetings
• 10 feedback submissions were emailed in

Total: 13 feedback submissions

Feedback topics/suggestions received and the number of people who provided feedback on each topic/suggestion:

Considerations

Based on community feedback, several suggestions were analyzed to determine feasibility:

Safety/Walkability

Safe walking routes to school are always an important factor when considering catchment area changes. The North Vancouver School District will work with the local municipality to have a walk map created for the new catchment areas. The walk to Norgate Community Elementary School is about five minutes longer for families living in the area that will move catchments.

Moving the change area to south of Fullerton Avenue

Chris Atkinson, Assistant Superintendent of the North Vancouver School District, cycled and walked the area that will change catchments. The suggestion of keeping the area above Fullerton Ave. in the Capilano Elementary catchment was considered. An enrolment projection was conducted solely for the area north of Fullerton and west of Capilano Road up to the Upper Levels Highway. It is projected that there will be roughly one to two students from that area over the next eight years (not per year, but total over eight years). Seeing as the numbers are quite low, it was determined to keep north of Fullerton in the catchment change area so that the area remains with its direct neighbourhood.

Moving the change area to North of Marine Drive

An enrolment projection was conducted solely for the area north of Marine Drive from Capilano Rd in the west to Pemberton Ave in the east and up to the ridge below Keith Rd. It is projected that there will be roughly six to seven students a year from that area for a total of 39 students by 2025. That number of students is lower than the number of students the school district would like to move from Capilano Elementary to Norgate Community Elementary (the goal is move 70-80 students by 2025).

Response to other concerns raised

Capilano is a better school (rankings)

All of the schools in the North Vancouver School District are exceptional, and the school district does not rank its schools. The Fraser Institute school rankings are based on the Foundation Skills Assessment. This test is just one tool to gather information; thus, it is only a snapshot that does not provide a full picture of student learning. Via school planning, schools set goals, measure these goals holistically in a wide variety of ways, and endeavour to improve by meeting their goals. Since the Foundation Skills Assessment results are but one set of data, it would be nearly impossible to measure a specific correlation between Foundation Skills Assessment results and the quality of a school.

Property value will decrease in the area that is moved

Property values are determined by a wide variety of factors. The entire North Shore is sought after as a place to live and all of the schools in the North Vancouver School District are great schools.

No International Baccalaureate (IB) at Norgate

In the future, consideration could be given to offering an International Baccalaureate program at Norgate Community Elementary School if the school community would like to investigate that possibility.

2.    Eastview Elementary School and Lynn Valley Elementary School

Lynn Valley Elementary School is currently operating at 133% capacity. Enrolment projections demonstrate that enrolment will continue to rise at Lynn Valley Elementary, reaching 140% capacity by 2025. Enrolment pressure at Lynn Valley Elementary School needs to be relieved.

Eastview Elementary School is currently operating at 62% capacity and enrolment projections demonstrate that enrolment will remain relatively steady.

The catchment change will move a small portion in the southern section of the current Lynn Valley Elementary School catchment area into the Eastview Elementary School catchment area. The area that will be moved is located between Lynn Valley Road to the north-west, Kirkstone Park to the south, and Mountain Hwy to the east. It encompasses Fromme Rd, Whiteley Crt and E 27th St.

Engagement

Promotion of feedback opportunities:

• March 19 – Information posted to the North Vancouver School District website
• April 11 – Email to staff at Eastview Elementary and Lynn Valley Elementary with invitation to staff consultation
• April 15 – Email to parents at Eastview Elementary and Lynn Valley Elementary with invitation to community consultation event
• April 18 – Email to all staff and all parents in the North Vancouver School District with invitation to community consultation event
• April 24 – Advertise community consultation event in North Shore News
• April 29 – Email to all staff and all parents in the North Vancouver School District with invitation to community consultation event
• May 1-6 – Advertise community consultation event on school district, Eastview and Lynn Valley websites
• May 1-6 – Advertise community consultation event on social media
• May 7-10 – Door-to-door delivery, to homes in the study area, of an information handout with an invitation to provide email feedback
  

Public consultation meeting

• Thursday, May 9, 2019, 7 p.m., Eastview Elementary School
  

Seven people attended

Feedback:

• Zero forms were received at the public consultation meeting
• Five feedback submissions were emailed in

Total: Five feedback submissions

Feedback topics/suggestions received and the number of people who provided feedback on each topic/suggestion:

Consideration

Based on community feedback, the following suggestion was analyzed to determine feasibility:

Too soon, cannot plan for childcare (please implement a year later in 2021-22)

Childcare is a genuine concern for many families throughout the North Vancouver School District. Acknowledging how difficult it can be to find before and after school care, consideration was given to delaying the catchment change for one year. However, enrolment projections for Lynn Valley Elementary School demonstrate that if a change is not made for the 2020-21 school year that there will not be enough space at the school for all catchment area kindergarten students. A lottery would need to be done for all students. To avoid putting roughly 60 families in the position of not knowing what school their child will go to, it was determined to implement the change for 2020-21.

Response to other concern raised

Re-open Fromme Elementary

Re-opening Fromme Elementary School would be a complex undertaking. In terms of catchment areas alone, new catchment areas for all of Lynn Valley would be required, which would impact thousands of families. This is not an option the school district would consider at this time.