The fate of the students of one of the learning centres shutting down in Surrey has finally been decided.
City Central Learning Centre will be closing and the building will instead revert back to a mainstream elementary school, as it was prior before converting to the centre in 2012. Citing the need for more schools in the overcrowded district, Surrey school board made the decision last year and has since announced the closure of two more learning centres — Guildford Learning Centre and South Surrey White Rock Learning Centre.
"We aren’t just having students return to mainstream, but rather a thoughtful and supportive transition will be provided for each learner," director of instruction Selma Smith said at the regular school board meeting on Wednesday night (Feb. 12).
Learning centres are often for students who may be at risk for leaving school or have already left, are preparing to re-enter mainstream schools, or for adult learners aiming to receive their Dogwood diploma.
Students from City Central Learning Centre will either be transferred over to North Surrey Learning Centre or attend one of the HOPE programs that are currently at three high schools but will be expanded to more next year, the board agreed in a unanimous decision.
HOPE (Helping Others and Providing Education) programs are designated classrooms within a mainstream school that are smaller classes for students who need more learning support than traditional classrooms provide. The students in these programs spend their entire school day in these classrooms unless they choose to take other elective courses outside of them.
The program will be expanded to other areas in North Surrey, Newton and South Surrey, for a total of 30 for current learning centre students to choose from.
"What we heard from our learners loud and clear is that our learners in alternative programs appreciate the flexibility of self-paced learning," said assistant superintendent Perry Smith, adding that the HOPE programs will provide this.
"Students will not be forced to go into mainstream programs at secondary schools."
Other options that were on the table were transitioning the learning centre students to the modular building located at Queen Elizabeth Secondary, which was considered and consulted on by the board and the public.
The district staff emphasized that the HOPE programs will allow students to get the same learning environment they had prior through the transition and that many students go on to graduate from being enrolled in the HOPE classes.
"We do have students who attend a learning centre as a transition … for a period of time and transition back to their home secondary school. We have had students that transition into our HOPE programs that then transition back to ‘regular’ secondary," Perry said.
"Each student has their own story."
City Central Learning Centre will become an elementary school in July and be open to students in September.
