A group of East Side parents wants the school board to reconsider closing one of the buildings on the Dr. A.R. Lord elementary school site.

The board proposes closing a small "outbuilding" on the property at 555 Lillooet St. near the PNE to save $42,820, according to the revised budget, which calls for overall cuts of roughly $16.33 million although it hasn't been passed yet. The so-called "outbuilding" functions as a small primary school that houses Lord's kindergarten to Grade 2 students. It's at one corner of the property, while the larger school building, known as the intermediate school, sits at the opposite corner for Grade 3 to 7 students. Both buildings have the school name above their doors.

A parent stumbled across the closure plan and alerted the school's parent advisory council. The council had not been notified directly, but has since launched an effort to save the building, which features a gym, kitchen, staff room, learning resource room and six classrooms. Shannon Harrison, PAC spokesperson, said the school and community should have been notified and given time to find another solution. Parents maintain the cost of closing the smaller building and retrofitting the intermediate building to accommodate more students haven't been considered. They think the district should consider a before-and-after school program at the site to bolster enrolment and help offset the expense of keeping it open. Nearby after school programs have waiting lists, Harrison said.

The board must pass its budget by month's end, which leaves parents, trustees and staff little time to weigh alternatives. COPE trustee Jane Bouey met with parents at the school Wednesday night. She told the Courier that Lord is at 53 per cent of its capacity. Its overall enrolment is 197 students, which is expected to drop to 179 students next year. All the students can fit into one building, she said.

Bouey said she's sympathetic to parent concerns. She would like to save it from closure, but isn't sure that's possible given the district's financial woes. "It's hard to justify keeping it open when there are classrooms that are empty and the alternative is making cuts elsewhere in the budget that could mean the difference between support for a special needs student or not," she said.

Harrison maintains the primary school should be treated like a school, not an out building, and parents deserve time and support to investigate options. "If the building gets shut down, the likelihood that it's going to be opened again in the next number of years is probably pretty minimal," she said. "I can't imagine that they would go to the trouble and cost of shutting it all down and then just reopen it next year."

noconnor@vancourier.com