With the last public consultation meeting on the recommendation to close Lake Kathlyn Elementary on April 7, the school's parent advisory council is holding an information barbecue at Bulkley Valley Wholesale this Saturday.
PAC members will be there handing out information and answering questions from the public. Their aim is to rally community support in keeping the school open. The food is donated by BV Wholesale.
Bulkley Valley School District 54 staff recommended the closure and the school board initiated the consultation process in the face of declining enrolment and budget cuts in administration costs ordered by the province, as well as the looming loss of money given to the district because of its declining enrolment. The school district has said in its presentations that the school closure would help avoid program and staff cuts at other schools, and that capacity at other schools like Walnut Elementary is also easily able to handle more students.
Supporters of keeping the school open have said the school is unique to the district and it is in the best interest of students, many of whom have not had success at other schools, to keep it from closing.
The final vote by the school board on whether to keep the school open is on April 12 during a special meeting at the school.