Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By Jill Sperling

RELOCATING STUDENTS

Mother voices concerns over relocation of TREC students

Sep 10, 2019 | 9:33 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops-Thompson School District is taking a second look at relocation plans for students currently at George Hilliard Elementary.

Students from the Twin Rivers Education Centre and Four Directions will have to leave the school to make space for Parkcrest Elementary students, who lost their school in a fire last Thursday.

TREC parents have voiced their concerns over the proposed relocation to NorKam Secondary.

Christi Watchel’s son attends the Bridges Program, located at the Twin Rivers Education Centre.

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She has been told the program will be moving to a United Way building.

“A lot of kids that attend the Bridges program, it’s to bridge the gap where they’re just not fitting into a regular school system, and to get them back into a regular school system,” Watchel said. “So, for them not to be in a school in general is concerning, but also just taking away … the school structure, taking away the other kids that are going to be here, because TREC is going to be separated and that’s going to NorKam.”

The TREC students’ move to NorKam is also concerning to Watchel.

“They’re already labeled,” Watchel said. “They already don’t fit into a normal school atmosphere and for them to be given a wing, for the other students at NorKam to be pushed out into different classrooms or portables, it’s a recipe for disaster.”

Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

Now, the district is promising the move of TREC students to NorKam will be a temporary one as they focus on finding a safe space for these vulnerable students.

Board Chair, Kathleen Karpuk says the Board has decided to work on finding a location where all of the TREC and Four Directions can stay together.

“In the interim, we still will be having TREC and Four Directions at separate sites, but the ultimate goal will be to reunite them sometime in the future once we find a site that can accomodate them all,” Karpuk said.

That means as of Monday, TREC students will be attending classes at NorKam.

“We are asking parents and students for patience,” Karpuk said. “This is not a simple situation, it’s not going to be a simple solution.”

Karpuk says the school district is looking at all possible locations, including moving the TREC students to Happyvale, where Four Directions students were already slated to go.

If that happens, not only would the BIG Little Science Centre be moving out, but possibly the daycares that use that space as well.

“There may need to be a movement of the daycares there, we will do our best to accomodate them,” Karpuk said. “So, we’re going to be putting portables in where we need to put portables and we’re going to try and make sure that we protect our vulnerable learners, all of them.”