Prince George, B.C. – Spruceland Traditional Elementary deserves to have a vice-principal.

That was the argument put forth at this week’s Prince George School Board meeting by Spruceland Parent Advisory Council (PAC) member Dennis Fudge.

Spruceland PAC member Dennis Fudge – photo 250 News

“Spruceland should definitely have one. Spruceland has the fifth highest number of students of all the elementary schools but only the top four get a vice-principal,” he says. “We’re also in a Tier 1 neighbourhood, if we weren’t a traditional choice school, we would probably have a vice-principal with less students.”

(Tier 1 is an SD57 classification which reflects the learning needs of the student population. The district provides additional learning supports for students in Tier 1 schools).

Fudge adds Spruceland has the highest number of First Nations students in the district (177), the highest number of special needs kids (46) and the fourth most English language learner (ELL) students (87).

“It takes a lot to manage a school, a principal can only do so much. Eventually you have to start cutting some of the responsibilities and then you start losing the quality of work a principal would normally give,” says Fudge. “So if Spruceland had a vice-principal, that would help.”

He acknowledges budgets in the district are tight, but notes it was announced this week the district hired a vice-principal for Ecole Lac des Bois, a school with no ELL students, fewer special needs kids (5), and just 61 aboriginal students.

“They (Ecole Lac des Bois) have more students than Spruceland, but if you look at their number of special needs, ELL, and aboriginal kids, then we should get a vice-principal too.”

School Board vice-chair Brenda Hooker says Fudge’s concerns are not without merit.

“He raised some very good points regarding that school and their demographics and the challenges that they experience,” she says. “I also have to note they did have a vice-principal up until quite recently.”

She adds the district is facing budgetary challenges too.

“That’s the struggle for the Board all across the district. We hear often about needs in a lot of our schools, we just spent two days down in the Robson Valley talking with local PACs and local educators about the their needs,” says Hooker. “We just don’t have enough money to go around, particularly this year when we’re mandated by the ministry (of education) to save $727,000 in administration savings and another $636,000 next year. It’s a real struggle financially.”