Budget constraints are forcing some B.C. school districts to cut back on the number of summer school spots being offered.
"School boards are doing the best they can and they're making decisions on the ground," said B.C. Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid. "We're encouraging them to look for administrative savings wherever they possibly can."
Richmond has cut the number of spots for full-credit, academic summer courses from 2,100 to 1,700. In Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, the number has been reduced from 1,000 to 600.
"I think that's really sad," Richmond School District School Trustee Linda McPhail told CTV News. "As a parent myself, I would have liked my children to be able to take classes or courses in my own community."
Since students are allowed to register for summer school courses in any district they want, larger cities like Vancouver expect to see a crossover.
Registration for summer courses opened Monday and some parents waited up to three hours before the doors opened to ensure a space for their child.
"So far we think we're fine," Vancouver School Board Manager Peter Andrade told CTV News about the risk of a summer school classroom crunch. "But it may be that some time near the end of June, we may run into some course loads and we may not be able to find teachers as we would like to."
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Leah Hendry
