Traditional schools could be losing unique status in Surrey, B.C.

Facing overcrowding and a shortage of classroom space, the Surrey Board of Education is considering converting its three traditional schools into regular catchment elementary schools. 

Trustees approved a motion to begin public consultations on the potential change at a public meeting on Wednesday. A report on the implications of this change is expected to be presented to the board on Dec. 11.

The three schools under consideration are Surrey Traditional, Cloverdale Traditional and McLeod Road Traditional schools, with the first two having just over 300 students and the latter having a little over 200.

According to the school district, traditional schools offer a "unique educational experience", placing an emphasis on research-based teaching practices. Students attending traditional schools are also required to wear a crested uniform as part of a dress code.

Gary Tymoschuk, vice-chair of the board, says the board is now exploring whether converting these schools to regular elementary schools could help ease the enrolment pressure across the district.

"We've got so much growth in this city," he said. "We've got to look at all ways to accommodate the new students."

Surrey public schools have been bursting at the seams for years, with the district seeing an increasing reliance on portable classrooms.

Close to 9,000 Surrey students are housed in 360 portable classrooms, according to the district.

The Surrey School District's Long-Range Facilities Plan (LRFP) reveals that the district currently faces a shortage of more than 6,500 student seats, with projections indicating that the shortfall could surpass 13,500 by 2032.

The vice-chair says the provincial government does not provide funding for the physical expansion of "choice programs", which include a variety of specialized schooling types like French immersion and traditional schools.

"But if we convert it to a community-based school or a catchment school, we could be in line for some potential funding to expand these schools," Tymoschuk said, noting the pressing need for additional space in the district.

Parents raise concerns

However, the proposal has raised concerns among parents such as Karly Watts, whose two children are currently enrolled at Cloverdale Traditional School.

"All of a sudden we're going to dismantle the ability of parents like me from sending our kids to a traditional school? It's so disheartening," she told CBC News.

"Our school does benefit from smaller class sizes, and it benefits from an environment that fosters that element of responsibility, of discipline."

Anne Whitmore, president of the Surrey District Parents Advisory Council (DPAC), also acknowledged the growing anxiety among parents.

"One of the things about choice programs is that they provide options for students, and for families, so that we don't have a cookie cutter approach to education," Whitmore said. 

"Parents and caregivers are understandably upset," she added. "There is a sense of crisis ... about impending change and not knowing what that might look like."

Despite these concerns, Tymoschuk emphasized that the curriculum at traditional schools is not significantly different from that of regular elementary schools, except for the uniform policy.

"The difference is that a lot of parents like that uniform," he said. "That option is available at any school in our district, so it doesn't have to be at a traditional school."

Parents, however, are not convinced. Watts argued that traditional schools offer more than just a dress code.

"Traditional schools have models that emphasize values such as responsibility, citizenship, agency, community," she said.  

The district is now set to gather input from parents about traditional schools, through an online survey and an in-person forum scheduled for Nov. 6.

The consultation period will run until Nov. 12, after which staff will compile community feedback into a report before the board's final decision in December.