What is a Long Term Facilities Plan?

The Long Term Facilities Plan is a provincial mechanism for School Districts to demonstrate facilities are managed in an effective, economic and efficient way to support educational goals. The Long Term Facilities Plan identifies the need for capital projects in a district-wide context and becomes the basis for submission of capital project requests by the School Districts to assist with the investment decisions by the Ministry of Education.

The Long Term Facilities Plan is intended to be a Broad Visioning document much like an Official Community Plan to:

• Support educational direction

• Manage existing facilities

• Allow school facilities to play larger role in the community

• Identify potential changes to programs

• Identify other uses for facilities such as childcare; before and after care; community uses

Ministry of Education guidelines emphasize the need for robust community, especially Indigenous consultation. A Long Term Facilities Plan should take into consideration:

• Educational and operational program requirements and trends

• Current and 10 to 15 year projections in enrolments, and community demographics

• Operating capacities, utilization and condition of existing facilities, including temporary accommodation and/or rental facilities

• Current and anticipated changes in land use

• Future trends or anticipated new initiatives, including both those of the school district and the government; and transportation of students

The Long Term Facilities Plan is a “living document” to be updated on a regular basis to reflect trends and changes that occurs in the School District, and serves as a road map to help guide operational and capital planning.

Why Review the Plan?

The Long Term Facilities Plan that was completed in 2012, does not address many of the current opportunities and challenges faced by the School District at present or in the future, and is in need of significant revision.

In addition, the School District has experienced substantial growth since 2014. Due to some school capacity issues, the following two items require the School District make decisions prior to the opening of the 2021/22 school registration.

• Kelowna Secondary School has 1,800 students enrolled and the school capacity is 1,600. Nine portables are located on the site to help accommodate the enrolment; however, with the increased growth, the school can no longer continue to accommodate the population and provide the range of courses for the students.

• H.S. Grenda Middle School in Lake Country will open September 2021. This is an opportunity to review the potential to develop a French Immersion program with the the District of Lake Country. This change would redirect French Immersion students from Dr. Knox Middle School and Kelowna Secondary and allow Lake Country French Immersion students to remain in their community.

What is the timeline for the Long Term Facilities Plan ?

The Long Term Facilities Plan engagement process is set to begin in October 2020, with the launch of the District Long Term Facilities Plan website and survey. Open houses, meetings with key stakeholders, and other online engagement are included in the process. The goal is to have received all feedback in February 2021 to allow for district staff to consider the Long Term Facilities Plan in future capital planning and budget processes for the 2021-22 school year.