Consultation process to begin for Surrey Learning Centre after pushback

A late public consultation process for the future of South Surrey White Rock Learning Centre will be underway soon.Anna Burns/ Surrey Now-Leader

After much pushback from the community, a public consultation process will begin soon for the South Surrey White Rock Learning Centre.

The centre will still, however, be closing.

Announced in a letter home to the school community and shared to Peace Arch News by the district, it states that the board has heard the pleas from the community. While the lease of the building will not be renewed, the board wants to hear thoughts and opinions on the alternate program being presented as an option to current learning centre students.

More details on the consultation process will be shared at the next public board meeting on March 12, the release adds.

At the regular February school board meeting, a delegation of former learning centre students called to question the board's handling of the centre's closure. Before a school closure can take place, the school board must first announce the potential for the closure at a public board meeting, then hold public consultations and then make the final decision which is also announced at a public board meeting, according to Surrey Schools policy 6801.1.

The district bypassed all of these steps and instead announced the school's closure and the alternatives to the school community in a letter home.

Stating no policy was broken, Surrey Schools and Education Minister Lisa Beare both framed the closing of South Surrey White Rock Learning Centre as a "relocation" of a program rather than a school closure, even though learning centres are listed as schools on the district's website.

The learning centre will not be relocating to a new site with the same staff, instead, students will be transferred back to mainstream schools to attend HOPE (Helping Others and Providing Education) programs, which are being expanded to the four South Surrey high schools.

HOPE programs are designated classrooms inside mainstream schools that are smaller classes for students who need more learning support than the traditional classrooms provide. HOPE programs have been running at schools for years, in addition to learning centres, but the district is claiming that they are now one and the same.

"Any suggestions, options, feedback and ideas will be collated into a report and presented to the Board of Education at the May 14th Public Board meeting," the letter reads.

"The Board of Education is looking forward to listening to the community and collecting feedback and ideas that allow for successful education delivery to learning centre students."

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