Foes of school plan raise outcry in West Van Parents protest Proposed facility changes in district HUNDREDS OF parents jammed the West Vancouver Secondary School theatre Monday night to protest school District 45 superin- tendent Doug Player’s pzo- posal (to initizie massive changes in the school district’s facilities, lands, and program locations in the coming years. ATRICK RAYNARD Contributing Wi The West Vancouver District 45 School Board heard representatives from such organizations as Montessori, parents for French, day care and several school parent groups voice their concern over the plan. The proposals made by Player and his school district staff on March 26, titled Facilities for the Future, represent a response to an increase in area birth rate and schoo] populations at a time when several school buildings have become inadequate and, in one case, unsafe. Under Player’s proposals, both Hillside Middle and Pauline Johnson Elementary schools would be torn down. In addition, the Eagle Harbour community facility would be ‘reclaimed’ as a school, and a 13-acre piece of the Caulfeild Piateau would be sold to raise money for the district-wide changes. The Hillside students would be moved to the West Vancouver Secondary property, and a new PJ’? would be built east of the old Pauline Johnson site. The 13-acre parcel across the street from the Caulfeild Village shopping centre, as well as the lands presently occupied by Hollyburn Elementary and Hillside, would be rezoned for housing and sold. But parents at Monday's meeting applauded foudest when speakers complained repeatedly that trustees had nat allowed parents and the community enough tin:e to respond adequately to iNSIDE: Samana NORTH SHO Player’s proposals before the final board vote, scheduled for May 14. “We would respectfully suggest that parents be accorded the same courtesy of one year’s notice of major changes,’’ Cheryl Samson of the Ridgeview Parents’ Associa- tion told trustees, referring to the eviction notices the board had given to three other groups. Judith Walker of the Gatehouse Montessori School, which has been housed in Cedardale Elementary School for the last {1 years, told the gathering that almost 100 preschoolers would be affected by the proposed conversion of Cedardale to board administrative offices. “Gatehouse serves nearly one- quarter of the population currently attending preschool in the portion of West Vancouver east of 27th Street,’’ Walker said. “If only the parts of the report related to Cedardale and Caulfeild were adopted, more than 24 per cent of the West Vancouver preschool population will be displaced in 1991,’’ she added. Sandie Bradley of the West Vancouver Parents for French urged the board to rule out capp- ing enrolment in French immersion if demand were to exceed the space presently planned in the new PJ school. Peter Bradshaw of the West Vancouver Secondary School Parents’ Group said the the board should lease :ather than sell any of its lands. He also urged trustees to bring the aging WVSS up to current safety standards. Bradshaw ended his presentation by saying: ‘‘The only thing that separates Canada from Third World countries and maintains our standard of living is an educated middle class.” Marilyn Ransby of the Hollyburn Out-of-School Daycare said trustees should ‘‘direct their attention to day care in a more systematic fashion’? in order to meet the expected 25 per cent growth in day-care demand be- tween now and next September. Ransby said that the 90 children presently in the Hollyburn day care will expand to 120 and should eventually be housed in the new PJ, The question of the Caulfeild lands and the need for a high See Proposed Page 3 CYCLIST DERREN Wong takes a leap in the air on his Haro sports bike at North J Vancouver’s skate park. ES NEWS photo Cindy Goodman ~