Nanaimo District Secondary School is considerably over-crowded from the 1,400 students it was originally designed for. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

expansion

All options on the table for over-capacity Nanaimo District Secondary School

Dec 8, 2022 | 2:18 PM

NANAIMO — School District 68 is trying to figure out how to address a growing enrolment problem at their largest school.

Capacity at aging Nanaimo District Secondary School (NDSS) continues to grow. It was originally built for 1,400 students, but has expanded over the years to accommodate 1,550 attendees through portables.

However, 1,657 students currently attend the Wakesiah Ave. school and the number is trending upwards of 1,700 in the coming school years.

“It’s a school that draws a lot of students, it’s a school that has a variety of programming, it’s a school that has French immersion…the school is getting over the place of comfort in serving our kids,” Mark Walsh, SD68 secretary-treasurer told trustees durig a Wednesday, Dec. 7 business committee meeting.

Issues have been known on a variety of levels for years but were formally recognized as an immediate and pressing challenge last year.

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Prior efforts to deal with the overcrowding have had mixed results.

Additional portables have either already been, or are planned to be added to NDSS to accommodate more students, but it’s far from an idea solution.

Four portables are planned in the short-term, however they’re currently in use at Hammond Bay elementary school during construction on a new building.

Costs to move them and set up at NDSS would also be around $400,000.

The more permanent, long term solution is the complete renovation and expansion, or outright replacement of NDSS to serve the growing need.

Applications for seismic upgrades, similar to those completed recently at Cilaire and Pleasant Valley elementary schools, remain in with the provincial government.

SD 68 lists 70-year-old NDSS as the highest seismic priority in the district.

“We’re very confident the Ministry (of education) knows our issues,” Walsh said. “Let’s say we got a seismic (upgrade) this year, perhaps an expansion would come with it.”

Walsh however was less optimistic about a stand-alone expansion project, knowing NDSS requires the seismic upgrades.

School District staff will return with more concrete options for the Board of Trustees to consider by early 2023.

The goal would be to begin implementing some changes for the start of the 2023-24 school year.

Expansion of Wellington Secondary, re-distribution of students through adjusting catchment areas, and bussing students are all options on the table.

Walsh said a long-term solution will likely require different options being put into practice.

“You add 100 kids to Wellington, you add 100 to Barsby, you add 100 to Cedar and then you add 100 to NDSS and there we’ve got a relatively long term solution. An expansion of Wellington is not a fast one.”

Moving some programming away from NDSS and re-opening Woodlands Secondary are also options being considered.

A 2021 report from SD68 showed the District is facing an over-enrolment issue, upwards of roughly 30 per cent by 2030.

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