Vanderhoof, B.C. - As children in the Nechako Lakes School District head back to class this week, they’ll see new faces and new places.

 

Kids will see the result of some tough decisions made by the District 91 School Board as it grappled with a $3.8 million budget shortfall. The board decided to close Muriel Mould Primary in Burns Lake and Topley Elementary school. Topley students will arrive this week at a number of different schools, including Decker Lake Elementary. District 91 Director of Instruction Ernie Mannering says Muriel Mould students will now go to William Konkin in Burns Lake, which is now K-7.

 

“We’ve been very busy over the summer months getting things ready for this new school year. Work at William Konkin Elementary has progressed very well and our maintenance staff has it ready for the kids who will be attending this year.”

 

Returning teachers will also likely see a very different make up in the staff rooms and classrooms. The school district sent out the highest number of layoff notifications in recent memory at the end of May, targeting teachers with five years seniority or less. Approximately 57 teachers were affected by the layoffs. Ernie Mannering says 42 teachers have been rehired, but not all of them will have full-time positions.

 

“They haven’t all been recalled to the full time jobs they had before. Some of them will be working part-time. There are a number of them, 28, remaining on the recall list for this school year and some that are still on the recall list from last year. Many of those will be available as teachers on call to fill in for absent teachers during the school year and they’ll provide excellent instruction opportunities for those students. Perhaps they’ll get jobs through the school year.”

 

The other big change for students starting out in the system will be the addition of full day kindergarten in a number of School District 91 schools. Children in Burns Lake, Fraser Lake, and Fort Saint James will get “full day k” while kids in Vanderhoof will see the program phased in gradually.

 

District 91 students start the school year with a half day today.