New Covered Area Policy has NO commitment to build or fund covered areas! Public Board Meeting this Tuesday May 28 - 7PM

The North Vancouver School Board has drafted their policy on covered play areas (see below) and will be discussing and voting to approve it this Tuesday. Come and let the board know that we want their commitment to build covered areas.

Public Board Meeting - Tuesday May 28th - 7pm sharp

Starting with public comment period (anyone's welcome to speak!)

NVSD office/Education Services Centre

2121 Lonsdale Avenue Mountain View Room – Fifth Floor

Covered Area Policy is on page 63-65 (they renamed it Outdoor Learning Spaces): http://www.nvsd44.bc.ca/en/Trustees/~/media/PDF_uploads/BoardMeetings/2012_13/BoardAgendaPkg20130528.ashx

We've reviewed the policy and are extremely disappointed with the outcome. While in theory the board mentions support of covered areas (among may other non-related items they decided to add to the policy), there is still absolutely NO commitment to fund or build covered play areas in the future. They also state that it is now the school's (aka parent's) responsibility to pay for any covered areas at existing schools. Even the school's who've had their covered areas dismantled without public input!

Instead of doing the logical thing and designing and building schools that work for our rainforest climate, it seems that the board has decided that covered areas aren't very important and have simply labeled them as an extra "nice-to-haves" so they don't have to fund or include them.  

The kids are the ones that are left out in the pouring rain!