Vavenby citizens have decided that they don't want the community to take away their school. For the first time School Board Trustees have confronted the parents of the children who might be moved as part of a district reorganization plan. In late August trustees had 27 meetings on closure plans. Carol Schaffer had something to say about this, and she said, “The message is if they take this from Vavenby it will cripple the community." Schaffer is hoping to fill in the school with 100 or more citizens, in a bid to ask the advisors to delay the closure for years. Vavenby Elementary is among the other Elementary Schools that district wants to close in order to maintain its budget. Board will also decide on closures and amalgamations in Kamloops. Administrators want to close Vavenby Elementary at savings of $135,000 a year, and want to bus students to the nearest school in the North Thompson; Raft River Elementary located about 27 kilometres south. Ken Christian, chairman of the Kamloops Thompson School District accepted the board's decisions would change some rural communities. Christian said the board will have new data on student numbers at rural schools stated for closures. In the case of Vavenby, the mill close indefinitely after the school was put on closure notice. He said he wants parents and community members in Vavenby as well as other areas to warn of a hit to the local business. The district lost around 120 students this year. The cost of not closing schools will come with layoffs needed to meet budgets, he warned. “We need to make the district sustainable. There’s a cost of doing nothing.”

Question

Vavenby citizens have decided that they don't want the community to take away their school. For the first time School Board Trustees have confronted the parents of the children who might be moved as part of a district reorganization plan. In late August trustees had 27 meetings on closure plans. Carol Schaffer had something to say about this, and she said, “The message is if they take this from Vavenby it will cripple the community." Schaffer is hoping to fill in the school with 100 or more citizens, in a bid to ask the advisors to delay the closure for years. Vavenby Elementary is among the other Elementary Schools that district wants to close in order to maintain its budget. Board will also decide on closures and amalgamations in Kamloops. Administrators want to close Vavenby Elementary at savings of $135,000 a year, and want to bus students to the nearest school in the North Thompson; Raft River Elementary located about 27 kilometres south. Ken Christian, chairman of the Kamloops Thompson School District accepted the board's decisions would change some rural communities. Christian said the board will have new data on student numbers at rural schools stated for closures. In the case of Vavenby, the mill close indefinitely after the school was put on closure notice. He said he wants parents and community members in Vavenby as well as other areas to warn of a hit to the local business. The district lost around 120 students this year. The cost of not closing schools will come with layoffs needed to meet budgets, he warned. “We need to make the district sustainable. There’s a cost of doing nothing.”

Schaffer said the district needs to delay projected closure in 2010 by several years to give a chance for proposed mines to open, one of which forecasts it will need 400 workers.

yeah, so you're right. It is 2010 latest. Ms. Sue do I need to add anything else into my summary from here, or is it fine?

Answer 1

I think it's very good, Austin. You've worked hard on it.

Answer 2

Based on the information provided, it seems that the Vavenby Elementary School in the Vavenby community is at risk of being closed as part of a district reorganization plan. The school board trustees have had several meetings regarding closure plans, and administrators are aiming to close the school in order to save $135,000 per year. This decision has caused concern among the citizens of Vavenby, as they believe closing the school will have a detrimental impact on the community.

Carol Schaffer, a community member, is taking action to prevent the closure. She plans to gather 100 or more citizens to ask the advisors to delay the closure for several years. Schaffer's proposal is based on the hope that proposed mining projects in the area will open and provide jobs for the community, potentially increasing student enrollment and making the school's closure unnecessary.

Ken Christian, chairman of the Kamloops Thompson School District, acknowledges that the board's decisions will have an impact on rural communities. He mentions that new data on student numbers at rural schools are being considered for closures. Christian emphasizes the need to make the district financially sustainable and warns of potential layoffs if schools are not closed to meet budget requirements.

In conclusion, the Vavenby community is advocating for the delay of the proposed closure of Vavenby Elementary School, citing potential economic opportunities and the negative impact on the community if the school shuts down.