Adult education could move from Main and Terminal to Gladstone and Britannia.
But the Vancouver School Board’s planning and facilities committee backed away at its meeting Dec. 18 from recommending to the board that adult education move to Gladstone secondary, with an expansion at the Hasting Education Centre at Britannia secondary.
Recommendations in a memorandum to the committee from Jim Meschino, director of facilities for the school board, had included that the board not renew the lease agreement for Main Street Education Centre at the end of July and relocate the Main Street programs to Gladstone and Britannia.
But the committee decided only to forward the recommendation to proceed with consultation about the relocation and successful integration of the adult education program at the two schools.
The committee’s recommendation is expected to go to the board Jan. 13. If it’s approved, information and consultation meetings could happen in January and
February.
The relocation is meant to save the board money. The VSB pays more than $600,000 a year in lease costs for the site at 333 Terminal Ave.
The memo notes problems with space configuration and building maintenance, and the space is now larger than what the board needs.
The board indicated its desire to relocate the education centre to VSB-owned property in its 2013-14 budget. A target savings of $300,000 was included in the board’s 2013-14 budget. Board staff anticipate relocation costs would be recovered within a year.
The board is considering Gladstone because it has space. The school could accommodate 1,600 teenagers but currently serves 1,125.
The board has identified a block of five classrooms that could be accessed through an entrance other than the main entrance and used to teach adults during and after school. The memo notes Gladstone sits within 1,000 metres of the Nanaimo SkyTrain station and is served by various bus routes.
“The [Main Street] students… actually are concentrated closer to Gladstone, although they’re from all over the city,” said Patti Bacchus, chairperson for the Vancouver School Board.
Adult education programs that couldn’t be accommodated at Gladstone could be offered through an expanded program at Hastings Education Centre in Britannia secondary.
Adult education currently runs in office spaces above the public library and has operated on the Britannia site since 2004. Britannia secondary could accommodate 1,000 students but serves 633.
“Short term (five year) and long term (15 year) projections indicate declining student enrolment for both schools,” the memo states.
A block of classrooms has been identified for use at Britannia.
Without knowing which adult education courses would be offered from Britannia secondary, the school’s principal Geoff Taylor says providing adult education in the secondary school could benefit his
students.
He hopes academic courses would be offered there.
“For the future of my students who may need an articulation into adult ed, even though currently it’s less than a hundred steps between our closest secondary door and the front door of adult ed, even less is better for some of my kids who are actually young adults,” he said.
John Oliver secondary and other sites have previously been considered as host sites for the adult education program.
crossi@vancourier.com
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