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Decision on schools and Olympics in October

More than 600 questionnaires received by Howe Sound School District

By Alison Taylor

By late October parents in the Sea to Sky corridor will know if local schools will be closed during the 2010 Winter Games or not.

More than 600 questionnaires were submitted to the Howe Sound School District by early June.

School Trustee André Janyk, chair of the district’s 2010 committee, said the questionnaires would be analyzed this month, as one piece of the information the board will use to make its decision. It is also gathering information from administrative staff, teachers, principals, vice principals and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) workers.

“The board of the school trustees will meet in August to review the results and to consider the options which are most consistent with the expressed wishes of all concerned, the parent survey being one source of information,” she said.

“The options being considered will be reported to all parents and other stakeholders in September, with opportunities for further feedback before the board makes its final decision in late October.”

The survey asked parents to choose from three options:

• close schools from Feb. 12 th to 28 th

• close schools from Feb. 5 th to 28 th , or

• keep schools open for classes throughout the Games.

Discussions are ongoing with both the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Games (VANOC) and the B.C. Ministry of Education about what opportunities there are for students to participate in the Olympic and Paralympic experience.

The ministry has stated that spring break will fall between March 8 and 12 in 2010 so that students are not out during the Olympics or the Paralympics.