French Immersion in West Kelowna is up for discussion at the next Planning and Facilities committee meeting for the Central Okanagan School District .
The district initiated a Westside Area Study to review Long-Term Facility Plan issues as well as managing student populations and increased growth in Westside, according to the planning board agenda.
The Board of Education approved a Long-Term Facility Plan in 2012 which listed challenges, recommendations and opportunities for Westside.
Options include: grade configurations, changes to the French Immersion program and conversions of existing spaces or addition of new property to increase student capacity.
Seven options were discussed on how to implement Grade 4 Middle French Immersion at one of the elementary schools, reconfigure Westside schools from Grades K to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to 12 and introduce a middle and secondary immersion program at Glenrosa Middle School and Mount Boucherie Secondary School.
The study recommends to build a new middle school on the Ecole George Pringle Elementary school site and convert Glenrose Middle School to a secondary school while maintaining Ecole George Pringle Elementary as an elementary school.
See story on overcapacity in the district.
The cost would be $29,030,689.
The proposal will be reviewed Wednesday, Jan. 18 at the committee meeting. If approved, the Westside Area Study will be submitted to the Ministry of Education.