The Haida Gwaii School Board is preparing to decide the future grade configuration of Port Clements Elementary during a public input session on Feb. 4. School district superintendent Lisa Bernoties reassured the Port Clements community that there are no plans to close the school, despite an ongoing review of its grade configuration. The school board is considering adjustments to ensure the school’s long-term sustainability.
Bernoties stated that since the board initiated this review, she has had several discussions with Parent Advisory Committees, the mayor of Port Clements, and now the public during this meeting.
She plans to present a report to the board with action items for consideration at the Feb. 18 board meeting, with an expectation that a decision will be made in March. “The board can make any of a hundred decisions. It’s not like what I give them is what they will do,” she told the room.
She will provide a range of possible actions, from making no changes at all to adjusting the timeline for reconfiguration. “It is our responsibility, if we use public funds, to review everything we do all the time,” Bernoties said. She explained that the school board continuously reviews all programs and financials and submits approximately 120 reports to the ministry annually.
During the meeting, Bernoties reiterated that closing the school is not under discussion. However, she explained that the district is evaluating the possibility of reconfiguring the school to focus on Kindergarten to Grade 3. Currently, Port Clements Elementary has approximately 18 students enrolled in K-3, while only four students are in the intermediate grades (Grades 4 and 5), and none in Grades 6 and 7. This imbalance has raised concerns about providing a socially and academically enriching environment for students in the higher grades.
“The decision will be based on the three E’s—Education, Economics, and Equity,” Bernoties stated. “We want to ensure that our students receive the highest quality education, that we’re using our resources efficiently, and that all students have access to the best possible learning opportunities.”
Parents in attendance questioned why the possibility of a bus route that would allow Tlell residents to enroll in the school was never considered. Many individuals expressed support for some form of transportation to include these potential students and help with declining enrollment numbers. Allan Lore voiced his frustration, telling Haida Gwaii News that he was disappointed Bernoties had shut down this part of the conversation when it was the will of many people in the room.
“Regardless of the numbers, there’s no way we have the money to offer another bus as a solution to the school,” Bernoties said during the meeting.
Lore, a parent of a kindergartener at Port Clements Elementary, reiterated his disappointment to Haida Gwaii News, saying that Bernoties disregarded the topic of bussing and transportation even though most attendees expressed that it should be considered.
There are some key differences between Port Clements Elementary and another small school in the district, Agnes L. Mathers Elementary in Sandspit. Bernoties noted that the latter would also be reviewed, but a significant distinction is the ferry required for students to reach other schools. “The school board wouldn’t put young children on the ferry without supervision,” she said, adding, “It doesn’t look very fruitful for cost savings,” when considering a grade reconfiguration for that school.
Other members of the public asked where students in the intermediate grades would go if removed from Port Clements Elementary. “We have some—not huge—capacity, but some,” Bernoties said, referring to the other two district-led elementary schools on Graham Island. “We want the little ones to stay close to home,” she added.
Several community members expressed concerns about the potential impact of removing the intermediate grades. Some worried about the long-term effects on the town’s future. “I have spoken to parents who are seriously considering moving here, but if their kids can’t stay past Grade 3, they won’t come. If this happens, our numbers in those grades will drop, and we’ll lose funding for them, ultimately losing the school and harming our community,” one participant said.
Another attendee, whose family was considering purchasing a home in Port Clements, added, “If this is what the board decides, we won’t move here.”
One concerned parent questioned how the transition to another school would affect their child and wondered why families would choose to enroll their children in a school they would have to transition out of so soon.
Another parent worried about having her children separated, explaining that her older child plays a crucial role in supporting a younger sibling suspected to be on the autism spectrum.
Port Clements community members without children in the school also spoke about the long distance to other schools and its impact on a child’s connection to the community. Alumni of Port Clements Elementary shared their experiences, recalling that they spent almost four hours a day commuting when they transitioned to high school. One resident raised concerns about children missing out on after-school activities and struggling socially.
“What is it about our students here that makes them expected, by default, to travel that far for school?” one woman asked Bernoties, who did not provide an answer at the time.
“There have to be better solutions that don’t involve taking our children out of our community,” a participant urged Bernoties. “Short term, this may help, but in the long term, this could be detrimental to our school.”
Speaking with Haida Gwaii News after the meeting, Lore reflected on the school’s history of program cuts. He noted that at one point, the school had no access to its gym for months, even though the gym serves both students and the broader community. “Cutting services over all these years hasn’t helped the school thrive,” he said. “The children and staff are doing well, considering what they have been left to work with.”
Lore plans to present a proposal to the Port Clements Village Council, urging them to explore the possibility of developing their own independent school district, similar to Sun Peaks.
The school board will review the report resulting from this process, with Bernoties providing recommendations for possible actions. The board is expected to make a decision at its regular March meeting.