The future of VSB schools: funding schools during declining and uneven enrollment

In recent years the management of Vancouver School Board (VSB) schools has generated significant public and media attention. VSB district enrollment has declined significantly over the past 20 years while Vancouver’s population has increased. Further, enrollment has increased in areas of urban development creating planning challenges where there are too many students in some schools and too few elsewhere. The Province expects the VSB to effectively manage their enrollment and have prioritized seismic upgrades for schools with high enrollment. This has led to potential school closures, catchment boundary changes, and 43 schools are listed as future priorities for seismic upgrades. This capstone investigates solutions to the VSB’s uneven enrollment challenges and related capital funding shortfalls through a jurisdictional scan, interviews, and a mapping study using VSB enrollment data. A recommendation is made for the VSB to consult the public on partial land leases and implement School Site Acquisition Charges.