File photo (Image credit: CFJC Today).

By Aaron Schulze

SD73 Properties For Sale?

SD73 board furthers process of divesting from Parkcrest Park and former Little Fort Elementary School sites

Nov 20, 2024 | 9:27 AM

KAMLOOPS — School District 73 (SD73) is seeking approval to hand over two of three properties it deems as no longer being required for educational purposes.

During Monday’s (Nov. 18) public meeting, the SD73 Board of Education voted to submit documentation regarding Parkcrest Park at 2393 Parkcrest Ave. in Kamloops and the former Little Fort Elementary School site at 216 Highway 24 to B.C.’s Ministry of Education and Child Care.

In her report, SD73 Superintendent Rhonda Nixon says the documentation is required to move on to the next phase of government consultation and approval from the ministry is required before property transfer agreements can be presented to the board.

The board unanimously voted to submit documentation for Parkcrest Park while Trustee Sim was the sole ‘nay’ vote for the former Little Fort Elementary School site.

SD73 held two consultation surveys for the properties — one from Sept. 30 to Oct. 11 and the other from Oct. 22 to Nov. 12. According to Nixon’s report, 46 per cent of the 28 responses received in the first phase were in favour of selling the properties while 14 per cent said no.

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In the second phase, 68 per cent of the 66 responses were in favour of handing over the properties, some with qualifications, while 32 per cent said no. Some of the qualifications for residents include giving the Little Fort Elementary site to Simpcw First Nation and the rest to Tk’emlups te Secwepemc and using the spaces for play or daycare.

The third property SD73 initially inquired about selling was Sa-Hali Park at 435 Arrowstone Dr. in Kamloops. Nixon recommended not submitting documentation for the Lower Sahali property due to “legal advice to abide by a restrictive covenant, which requires the board to sell only to the neighbouring land owners.” The board voted unanimously not to pursue it.

The process of selling or handing over the properties comes after it was unveiled an accounting error led SD73 to a $2.2 million deficit.

Parkcrest Park has an estimated value of just under $2 million, while Sa-Hali Park and the former Little Fort Elementary Schools have estimated values of $562,000 and $180,000 respectively.