Six districts with 12,000 students just doesn't fly. Wells is concerned that the process may be rushed - he said restructuring will occur before next fall's school board elections. Every district believes they have something special - and they do. We have the quarter system in the schools down here. It was brought in with a special goal in mind and it's working very well.
Every district has it's own little lists of needs and wants.
Smaller districts are also wary of being represented proportionately with larger districts and having less input for their schools. On the plus side, Wells said amalgamation could mean the sharing more resources. John McCarthy, SOSS career education coordinator, has already struck a deal with other districts to find work experience placements for local students throughout the valley. That's just the tip of what could be done. Stefan Cieslik, president of the Southern Okanagan Teachers' Association, agreed.