Two Calgary Catholic schools will be closing their doors and a series of programs will be shut down after a board meeting voted in favour of a proposed motion.
The public meeting of the Board of Trustees was held on Wednesday evening.
"Throughout this process, the most important consideration for our board of trustees was to ensure that planning strategies were guided by what is best for students," said Mary Martin, chair of the board.
Martin also said that the decisions were informed by extensive public consultation process that involved collaboration by administrative staff, teaching staff, support staff, parents, and the broader community.
The Catholic School District will be closing Holy Redeemer School, a K-6 elementary school in Forest Heights, and St. John Fine Arts School, a Grade 4-6 fine arts elementary school in Hillhurst, this coming September.
Reports say that students from St. John school will be transferred to St. Dominic in Dalhousie and students at Holy Redeemer will be transferred to an as yet unnamed school in east Calgary.
Programs at the following schools will also be closed in the new school year:
- Blessed Mother Theresa School - English program will be closed; the school will offer French immersion only
- St. Benedict School - English program will be closed; the school will offer the International Spanish Academy only
- St. Wilfrid School - French program will be closed; the school will offer a regular English program
- St. Sylvester School - English program will be closed; the school will offer French immersion only
The process to close the pair of schools took two years of extensive public consultation involving all levels of planning.
The most recent discussions took place in November and December 2011 to gain public input on program changes and where to accomodate the displaced students.
