School catchment areas are changing in Abbotsford to accommodate growth in a number of neighbourhoods.
The board of education heard from staff last week on shifting the boundaries in the Cooper Meadows development area, as well as High Street.
The Cooper Meadow boundary change could affect students at several schools, with a new development on McMillan Road and McKee Road adding 400 detached homes and townhomes. Construction hasn’t been started yet, but when it does, it will change the road network. It is also estimated that the housing will add 78 elementary students, 43 middle school school students and 35 secondary school students once it’s all done.
Growth from the development is expected in the current Prince Charles elementary, Clayburn middle and Robert Bateman secondary school catchments.
However, Margaret Stenerson elementary is much closer to Cooper Meadows, and construction of eight new classrooms is already underway there. That addition is expected to be able to handle the projected growth in elementary-aged children to the neighbourhood.
William A Fraser middle school and Yale secondary are also closer to the Cooper Meadows neighbourhood than those in the actual catchment area (Clayburn and Bateman).
The board of education approved a boundary review for the Margaret Stenerson and Prince Charles elementary school catchment area, the Clayburn and William A. Fraser middle school catchment area, and the Robert Bateman and Yale secondary school catchment areas.
Development in the High Street neighbourhood is also expected to affect enrolment at some schools in that area of Abbotsford, notably Dave Kandal elementary and Blue Jay elementary schools.
The Blue Jay elementary catchment already has a “very high population” of five- to 10-year-olds, a district staff report notes. The school can hold 377 students and went over capacity in 2019, with that trend expected for the long term.
Meanwhile, Dave Kandal elementary has a capacity of 241 students and has been experiencing declining enrolment for several years. The population of five- to 10-year-olds has been declining, and took a “steep drop” in 2021, the report states.
High Street Village is under development in the Blue Jay catchment area, on the border of the Dave Kandal area. It eventually will include 700 new townhomes and apartments, which are expected to bring 35 elementary-aged children to the area once fully developed.
The boundary adjustment would move the line just south of the development and allow students to attend Dave Kandal, and balance out enrolment numbers at each school.
All of these boundary changes will be up for comments and input online in the future, with a report expected back to the board by the end of this calendar year.