The North Vancouver School Board is set to vote Tuesday night on a proposal that would close four elementary schools to make up for declining enrolment and a multi-million dollar budget shortfall.
Like school districts across the province, North Vancouver is proposing cuts to address a massive projected budget shortfall -- in this case, $6.7 million.
School enrolment has declined by almost 18 per cent in the district in the last eight years, and there are 2,400 empty student spaces in North Vancouver schools.
District officials have recommended closing Plymouth and Fromme Elementary schools by the end of the current school year, and want to shut Blueridge Elementary in 2013.
Under this plan, students from Plymouth and Blueridge would be sent to a new facility built on the site of Seymour Heights Elementary, which has also been under consideration for closure.
According to the budget proposal, the school district will save about $400,000 for each school it closes.
Also on the table is the possible consolidation of five alternate programs for students who are struggling in school or have mental health and behavioural problems.
Many other B.C. school districts are facing bleak budget shortfalls this year, and could be forced to take similarly drastic measures.
Vancouver has the largest shortfall -- more than $18 million. The district has proposed cutting 190 full-time staff positions, cutting 10 days from the school year, and wiping out many music and fine arts classes.
The Richmond School Board has axed 94 jobs from next year's budget to deal with an almost $6-million shortfall.
Meanwhile, the province's second largest city, Surrey, is sitting at a $12 million shortfall, while Victoria's is $1.4 million.
Further East, Langley school district's shortfall is $5.3 million and Coquitlam's is $2 million.
