School District 54 will be taking concerns they heard from the public to make a decision on the reconfiguration of the three schools in Houston.
Secretary Treasurer Dave Margerm says there aren’t any immediate concerns, and a final decision likely won’t happen for quite a while. He says during the facilities review meetings in Smithers and Houston, they educated the public on the three schools in Houston having an overall capacity of around 50 per cent with a total of 530 students.
Mergerm says they heard concerns from the public about losing space at the schools with any reconfiguration.
“We’re trying to convince them that those are two different things. And that there’s space, and there’s the quality of education. When you’re on a fixed budget, you have to put money somewhere. So, if you want three facilities, it will take money away from educational programs,” says Margerm.
He posed the question at the meetings, “would you build three facilities for 530 students? Or would you build two facilities and have more money to spend on educational programs?”
Margerm says the school board will look to debate the issue with a recommendation likely coming to the March meeting.