Some Cimarron area residents are concerned their neighbourhood will be split if Foothills School Division’s proposed boundary changes for the fall of 2019 proceed.
“When you split up a community, you split up all kinds of opportunity these kids have now but won’t have in the future,” said Naomi Davis, who lives on Cimarron Vista Court near Home Depot.
“For my kids if they are sent to Big Rock, all of the neighbourhood kids will still be Westmount kids. They are no longer walking to school together, they aren’t going to the same after-school events.
“It really splits up a community.”
Boundary changes are needed to help fill the new Kindergarten to Grade 8 Meadow Ridge School along 32 Street across for Holy Trinity Academy, which is scheduled to open in September.
The division is holding a public meeting with stakeholders Jan. 24 at Dr. Morris Gibson School concerning the boundary change proposal.
Joy Grills, who has a son in Grade 4 at Westmount, has started a petition concerning the boundary change. It had not yet been presented to the board as of Jan. 18. There were 182 signatures as of Jan. 21.
“I am hearing from a ton of parents who are saying, ‘hey this is wrong, I don’t want to move my kids they are getting anxiety,’” Grills said.
She said the division had offered a similar boundary change in 2015, but it faced tough opposition. The final result was all Westmount kindergarten students going to Big Rock for two years, that option was not offered to the public in initial consultations.
As for the public meeting on Jan. 24, she hopes Foothills trustees listen.
“If they insist on moving us, they should phase it in slowly,” Grills said. “All kids who are in Westmount should stay in Westmount, but any students that are not registered into Westmount, possibly move to Big Rock… is it necessary to cut communities in half? Is it necessary to be very rigid when we can be flexible? It’s not that big of a community, there has to be better solutions.”
She would also like to see the options that were rejected by trustees be on display at the meeting.
“Maybe if we did a little bit of this, a little bit of that, we could find a solution for all boundaries,” she said.
All six trustees will be at the meeting and they with other stakeholders will be at tables to facilitate parents’ concerns.
They will listen, said Drew Chipman, Foothills assistant superintendent corporate services.
“I think the prime example was the original plan of the kindergarten to Big Rock,” Chipman said. “The board listened to the feedback from parents and made adjustments on this.
“The board has some tough decisions to make, but we are committed to listening and making sure the board takes in people’s concerns.
However, the reality is Meadow Ridge needs students to take pressure off other schools.
“Unfortunately, when you are opening a new school you have to make sure they are populated correctly,” Chipman said. “It will be extremely difficult to make everyone happy, but we are committed to making the right decision.”
Davis moved to Cimarron Vista Court last month specifically so her two children in Grade 5 and 6 could attend Westmount School.
“I actually purchased my house because it was in the Westmount School division and now it’s not,” Davis said. “We are going to be transitioned to Big Rock School.”
She added some students will have to walk a greater distance due to the boundary change.
She said forcing students into a different school is also challenging transition academically.
Davis admits some changes will have to be made to fill a new school.
“We suggest the school division listening to us,” said Davis, adding there are several parents who have indicated their displeasure with the proposed boundaries on a survey on the division’s website and not just from parents from the Westmount boundary.
“We suggest that they look at the boundary and make sure walkability is taken into account.”
If a student lives more than 2.4km away from their designated school, he or she will be bused.
The board will take the public’s feedback and make a decision on boundaries at a meeting in March.
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