Covered Area Committee’s Final Update

We have exhausted our efforts. This will be our final blog update until we have any positive results to report. Despite all of the public concern for the need for covered areas (Highland’s family surveys indicating overwhelming concern/support, written letters to the North Vancouver School District (NVSD) and board, concerns raised from various North Vancouver elementary school families & residents, and concerns raised by the public and candidates at the last two municipal elections), we have be unable to get this situation truly addressed by the NVSD.

There are some staff of the NVSD (and a couple on the school board) who don't feel that covered areas should be an essential school building component in our rain forest climate. Nor do they feel any obligation to students and tax-payers to reinstate the covered areas that the NVSD dismantled or omitted (without public input or approval). This resistance seems to have put a halt towards any genuine discussion or resolve over the years. A handful of people should not be able to dismiss strong public concern or quash the pursuit of solutions to a situation that will negatively impact students for generations to come. 

We encourage all concerned to write letters (see “Write letters” for email addresses and a template).

We are signing off with these requests in hopes the one day they will be addressed:

Requests to the North Vancouver School board/District:

1. Request for a written, public commitment/policy to include covered areas in future elementary school builds or renovation projects (given that they can be funded by the Ministry of Education within Elementary School build budgets due to N. Vancouver's high precipitation levels). This commitment would not cost a cent right now. It would show good-faith response towards addressing public concerns. It would also ensure that in future years from now, with changes in staff and board, that all of our efforts would not be forgotten and yet another school be built without covered areas.

2. Request for a public commitment to reinstate covered areas in the schools that had their covered areas omitted or dismantled. We have seen that "where there's a will, there's a way" when it comes to NVSD expenditures. We are certain that the NVSD could commission a contractor to build some great covered area solutions at a much more reasonable price (far below the $150,000 suggestion the NVSD had for Highlands). They could also get volume pricing if they negotiate contracts for many schools. They could ask the school PACs to contribute financially and they phase the builds over time to spread the costs.

Request to the British Columbia Ministry of Education:

1. The priority for all school buildings should be that they are safe and they are functional. We are in an earthquake zone and a high precipitation climate; our schools should be built suitable to our conditions. We ask the Ministry of Education to ensure that is so via funding choices and via direction to the individual school boards. Regarding our plight for covered areas, we ask that you encourage the North Vancouver School Board/District to include covered areas in future builds and to build covered areas in the schools that had their omitted or dismantled. 

2. We request your consideration of some changes to the “Area Standards” (see below*):

• #1 request: the wording “may” be changed to “must be added”. “May” leaves the decision up to a handful of people; “must” says that we build schools suitable to our climate.  
• Change exceeding 2000mm to 1100mm so that “rainy Vancouver” qualifies. North Vancouver is well over the 2000mm threshold, but why doesn’t Vancouver, renowned for its rainfall, qualify?
• Add wording – “Ideally, the total covered area space could be separated into two separate areas – one for primary, one for intermediate students”. We have learned from many schools that this is important as the students want that separation. 

*2.3.4 Covered Play Areas (page 10 & 11 of Area Standards Guide)

A covered play area not exceeding 100 m2 (total roof area) may be added to an elementary school that meets the following criteria:

• A school will be eligible if it has a nominal capacity less than 175.

• All elementary schools in a district will be eligible if the district has one of the following conditions:

• annual precipitation exceeding 2000 mm

• more than 5000 degree days below 18oC per annum

• exceptional local conditions which create problems best solved by a covered play area.

Retractable Awnings, Tents, Steel Shelters – Not Viable Options

Recently, Highland's parents explored some less costly covered area options (retractable awnings, industrial tents, less extensive steel shelters/carports) with the North Vancouver School District (NVSD) staff. It became clear that there are too many safety, liability, and maintenance concerns to pursue these options. They also said that if we did pursue these options, parents would be responsible for all costs and we would have to handle the entire process, permits, product and project engineer sign-off, contractors, etc. Additionally, since these covered area options would not last the life of the school building, that would commit future PACs to maintenance and replacement expenses over the years to come (the NVSD said they would not assist with maintenance or replacement costs).

So, it seems that the only way toward any feasible, long-term solution is to continue to persuade the NVSD to provide one. As we have said all along, covered areas should be included as functional and essential school building components given our rain forest climate (and given the fact that they can be funded by the Ministry of Education within school build and renovation budgets due to North Vancouver’s high precipitation levels).

If the school district were motivated to reinstate the covered areas they omitted/dismantled, they could probably commission a contractor to build some great solutions at a much more reasonable price (and with volume pricing if contracts for other schools). They could ask the school PACs to contribute financially and they could phase the builds over time to spread the costs. 

Covered area situation remains unaddressed and unresolved

Update: Following up from the last post, we have obtained the “Administrative Procedures” that were created by the North Vancouver School District to guide the “Outdoor Learning Spaces” policy, approved in May 2013 (these procedures have not been publicly posted on the North Vancouver School District website yet). The procedures turned out to be essentially the process and forms one would use to add an outdoor “feature” such as a garden, to their school. Sadly, the procedures still do not address covered areas specifically (as covered areas are not “features” like the others listed in that policy, rather they are functional building components and they can be funded within a school build budget), nor do they address the two questions that we have been asking the North Vancouver School Board for years now:

Given North Vancouver’s rain forest climate, and given the fact North Vancouver schools have had covered areas for as long as most can remember (and there has not been any formal or public input into any decisions to take them away), and given the fact that students go outside one to three times during the school day, and finally, given the fact that North Vancouver’s high annual precipitation levels qualify for Ministry of Education funding of covered areas within school build budgets…

1. Will the North Vancouver School Board make a public commitment to ensure that covered areas are included in future builds and renovations? And if “no”, why not?
2. Will the North Vancouver School Board make a public commitment toward finding and funding (or substantially funding, along with some reasonable/feasible assistance from PACs) solutions for the schools that had their covered areas omitted or dismantled? And if “no”, why not?

Many feel that the North Vancouver School District should take responsibility for their decisions to omit covered areas. North Vancouver students should not be forever resigned to going to school in this rainy climate without shelter options. Highlands’s parents, numerous parents from other North Vancouver schools, other North Vancouver residents, even some current board members have expressed that they feel there is a need for covered area options for students.  When there is so much concern and support regarding the need for covered areas, why is it that we can’t get the North Vancouver School District/Board to give this issue the attention that it deserves? Isn't it time for the board to make some public commitments regarding covered areas specifically? And if the answers are “No” to questions 1 & 2 above, then please state the reasons as the public has a right to hear them and to know that covered areas have been fully, carefully and publicly considered. These are decisions that will impact thousands upon thousands of North Vancouver students for decades to come.

Still Waiting...

Many people have been asking for an update. Our Covered Area Committee has been holding off as we have been waiting on the North Vancouver School District (NVSD) action points below. We are still waiting. The following statement (in black font) was recorded in the North Vancouver School Board public meeting minutes of May 29, 2013 board meeting minutes (and our Feb. 2014 Covered Area Committee updates are noted below (in blue):

“During discussion and in response to Trustees’ questions, the following points were clarified:

1.advocacy for capital project supplemental funding was discussed at a recent meeting of the Presidents’ Council, <Note – While we have not heard anything further regarding this, we were hoping that this potential funding, along with NVSB support-in-principle, might bring about some financial support to help the schools that no longer have covered areas (due to NVSD decisions to dismantle or not include them in new builds).

2. and a letter to the Minister is being drafted as well as a request for the Ministry to review rainfall rates for a district where there is variance in precipitation rates; <Note: We are pleased to see that the NVSB obtained written confirmation that indeed, North Vancouver schools do qualify for covered area funding within their capital build or renovation budget. We would like to make a point to the wording “with annual precipitation rates now exceeding 2000 mm”; to clarify that North Vancouver’s annual precipitation has been “exceeding” for decades+ (according to National Building Code sources). 

June 28, 2013 Subject: Annual Precipitation and Covered Play Areas
Letter of joint advocacy to Education Minister Peter Fassbender
July 15, 2013
Letter of response from Doug Stewart, A/Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education

3. the process and timing in developing the Administrative Procedures where the sub-committee will meet from June to September with recommendations brought to the Policy Review Committee in late September or early October; and consideration of a more formalized capital planning process in the Fall.” <Note – these are the Administrative Procedures that are supposed to guide the policy titled,"Outdoor Learning Spaces". These procedures have not been publicly presented yet. Additionally we have requested that they specifically address covered areas as they are different then the "features" included within "Outdoor Learning Spaces"; they are a functional building component and they can be funded by the Ministry during a build or renovation. We received the following board update in November “The Administrative Procedures supporting the Outdoor Learning Spaces are currently in DRAFT form and will be provided to the Policy Review Committee at a future meeting.  The District's Capital Planning Committee will be called together once the District receives an 'echo check' from the Ministry of Education in response to the submission of the 2013/14 Five Year Capital Plan.” > We have not heard anything further. We are still waiting to see what will transpire with regards to covered areas...many students are still without covered area options to seek shelter from the pouring rain in this rain forest climate. 

Policy/Post-Board Meeting Update

At the May 28, 2013 North Vancouver School Board public meeting, the Board approved a policy called “Outdoor Learning Spaces” that, while opening the door to some school ground enhancements proposals, unfortunately does not provide any commitment to building covered areas in future builds (when they can be funded by the BC Ministry of Education within the capital build budget) nor any commitment to help build and fund covered areas for the schools that had their covered areas taken away. More details about policy and the board meeting at end of this post.

We’d like to point out that we feel that there are some school board trustees trying to help save covered areas (and thank you to those members!) and then we have some North Vancouver School District staff and board members who will not commit to including covered areas in our schools. 

We encourage everyone to continue to write letters! Your letters still can make a difference! We as a committee have tirelessly worked to lay the groundwork, and now we are encouraging everyone to carry this torch and do whatever you can to help saved covered areas in North Vancouver!

Clarification of precipitation stats

The Ministry of Education will fund covered areas “if a district that has annual precipitation exceeding 2000mm” or has “exceptional local conditions which create problems best solved by a covered play area”.  North Vancouver has an average rainfall of 2537mm, well above the 2000mm threshold. The precipitations statistics that this Covered Area Committee reference, are from the leading credible source, Environment Canada, "Canadian Climate Normals or Averages 1971-2000" .

The Board Chair stated that they looked up the North Vancouver precipitation stats and came up with an average of 1889 mm, just 111mm under 2000; she did not reference the source, but said it was from the year 1990. We have not been able find any source with precipitations stats that low <Update: they have since reported that the source was “Supplement to the National Building Code of Canada 1990, published by the National Research Council Canada. However we have requested a web-link or hard copy to this information and it has not been produced.>  The Area Standards states that "the climatic data shall be derived from an approved official source such as the supplement to the National Building Code". The Building Code references Environment Canada data. Even the Ministry of Education said that the decision to build covered areas in North Vancouver rests with the NVSD. (see Highlands info below).

The Ministry of Education created a guideline for covered play areas in high precipitation climates. North Vancouver school buildings have included covered areas in the past. Children deserve shelter options when they live in a rain forest.

Highlands & other schools that have had their covered areas taken away 

Highlands’s parents have spent countless hours and energy trying to get covered areas for the students and to save covered areas in North Vancouver schools (see "Highland's Story"). We are so disappointed to report that Highlands’s students are left with no resolution.  Parents asked for covered areas during the Highlands design phase, Highlands qualified for funding from the Ministry going by accurate precipitation information, but the North Vancouver School District didn’t build any covered areas and the school build came in $700,000 under budget. They put in extensive concrete planters, but they didn’t include covered play areas. The NVSD makes no apologies for this decision not to build covered areas, and they offer no commitment to rectifying the problem. The children will continue pay the price for this negatively impactful decision.

The Residents Association also raised concerns about the lack of covered areas. Parents were told they could add them later, and after years of fighting just finally got approval (albeit not against a school wall as desired, and at a unaffordable, after-the-build price tag of $150,000). Read Residents Association letter here.

In 2011, The Ministry of Education informed Highlands that the decision to build covered areas rests with the North Vancouver School District and the encouraged us to pursue the issue with them. Read letter from the Ministry.

The NVSD previously approved a motion to develop a multi-stakeholder funding plan to fund a covered area for Highlands Elementary; we feel that they have not fulfilled this. The NVSD, being one of the major stakeholders in their schools are not offering any funding; all they did was provide a list of possible grants for Highlands to look into; most were either outdated or inapplicable and the amounts so small that it would take many years to raise $150,000. It would also be a challenge to garner the support for raising this large amount of many as many feel that it should be funded within a school's build. The cost would have been much less if built during the school build.

In recent years Lynn Valley School and Westview also underwent new builds and parents have been asking for covered areas for those schools too.  The NVSD has dismantled covered areas in some existing schools as well. Those students are all paying the price of these decisions too.

Policy Details Cont.

A policy is meant to be a clear guideline, a benchmark for future decisions and actions; and it remains unclear as to what will be done concerning covered areas. We were really hoping for commitments to come out of this policy.

They also did something new with this policy (and plan to apply it to all future policies going forward), they separated the “Administrative Procedures” which guide the policy into the “action plan” phase.  These procedures will be completed in September or October. We don’t know how this will affect covered areas for all.  

Revision: the official approved motion wording is as follows: that the Board of Education approve Proposed New Policy 806: Outdoor Learning Spaces, as attached to this Administrative Memorandum of May 28, 2013  <pages 63-65>, and further that the Board develop a policy for the construction of new capital projects that addresses possible building features.

We also requested more advocacy from them on behalf of local parents and community members so we don’t have a repeat of what happen with Highlands. We want much more public info and participation when it comes to building a new local school. These buildings have to suit students for generations so we need to make sure they suit the needs of the students and our climate.

Click to view the North Vancouver School Board Meeting Minutes

FYI: the following action points were clarified within the board meeting minutes:

 “During discussion and in response to Trustees’ questions, the following points were clarified: advocacy for capital project supplemental funding was discussed at a recent meeting of the Presidents’ Council, and a letter to the Minister is being drafted as well as a request for the Ministry to review rainfall rates for a district where there is variance in precipitation rates; the process and timing in developing the Administrative Procedures where the sub-committee will meet from June to September with recommendations brought to the Policy Review Committee in late September or early October; and consideration of a more formalized capital planning process in the Fall.”

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!

In the News

The covered area issue appeared in today’s North Shore News: http://www.nsnews.com/news/Open+playgrounds+anger+parents/8429294/story.html 

The Covered Area Committee would like to clarify a few points raised in the article:

The BC Ministry of Education’s Area Standards state that a covered area can be built in schools with annual precipitation levels above 2000mm (North Vancouver surpasses that), so covered areas can be built within the school build capital budget.

There have been many expenditures made by the North Vancouver School District (NVSD) that do not fall directly under "focusing on seismically safe schools.” Note: we are not faulting any of the expenditures whatsoever, we are just pointing out that while seismic upgrades are a very important focus; it has not been the NVSD’s only focus. Seismic upgrades and building schools that meet the children’s needs are not mutually exclusive; both can be accomplished.

In the case of the new Highlands school building, extensive concrete planters were built, but not covered play areas. Many see the planters as the “nice to haves” and covered areas as an integral part of a school build, given North Vancouver’s rainforest climate.

The cost to build a shelter after a school build is significant and would be much less if built during the school build. A policy is needed to ensure that covered areas are included in all future builds. Additionally a policy needs to be created to help the schools that had their covered areas taken away.

Write now to make a difference for all North Vancouver children!

A new policy regarding covered play areas is being written by the North Vancouver School District right now. Today's decisions will effect generations of kids. It's time to act! 

Provide your input while the policy is being reviewed. We’ve made it quick and easy to send a letter to the North Vancouver School District, MLAs and Ministry of Education by providing email addresses and an optional starter template. 

Our kids should have options to stay dry. Write to save our covered play areas!

Covered Play Areas are a necessity in rainy North Vancouver

To our dismay, we have been advised by the North Vancouver School District that they plan to re-classify and re-name the policy that is under review from “Covered Area Projects” to “Site Enhancements”; lumping covered areas in with “outdoor classrooms, playground installations, gardens, and public art”. 

As we have pointed out, many feel that covered areas are a necessity (an essential component of the school building given our rain-forest climate), not an “enhancement” to be grouped in a policy with gardens and public art. Lumping covered areas with “enhancements” seems to already defeat any potential policy toward including them as an essential component in schools. 

The motion that the North Vancouver School Board approved in Nov. 2012, stated that they will “forward the issue of covered area projects to the Policy Review Committee for the development of policy and to the Presidents’ Council for future advocacy”. We urge the NVSD to create a policy, with public input, that specifically addresses covered areas only (in the two existing scenarios): 

1.    Covered Area Policy for new school builds (not an additional capital project but within the school build/renovation capital budget): Covered areas should be included in new school building plans from the beginning so they can be included in the funding estimate and capital fund planning with the Ministry (the Ministry of Education Area Standards state that covered play areas may be included within a school build budget). The costs are significantly lower if done in the building process rather than after-the-fact AND as mentioned they can be included within the building budget.  

2.    Covered Area Policy for the schools that have had them dismantled or not included in their build (now an additional capital project because of the NVSD decision to eliminate those covered areas): the omission/removal of covered areas was a decision made without public consultation, we need a policy that helps remedy the results of that decision by building and funding covered areas for those schools that no longer have them.

We encourage the policy review committees to really consider the students and to gather and consider public input to create policies that meet the needs of the children. The decisions made today will affect thousands of children for many generations to come. 

Option 1 Design approved, but School District will not fund

Members of Highlands Covered Area Committee & Highlands principals met again with the NVSD (North Vancouver School District) Finance & Facilities Dept. on April 2^nd. The NVSD approved Option 1 (see Highlands-Options), however they said they will not provide any funding (nor will they work towards sourcing any funding); Highlands’s students and their families would have to raise the entire estimated $150,000. We pointed out that we feel that the portion of the NVSD board approved motion (posted in our Nov. 30^th update) “the board will consult with the Highland Parent Advisory Council and staff to…develop a multi-stakeholder funding plan” has not been fulfilled.

Additionally, the onus is being placed upon Highlands’s families despite the fact that the NVSD saved $700,000 from the Highlands school build coming in under-budget; all whilst Highland’s parents were raising concerns regarding the need for covered areas (concerns raised frequently from the date the designs were revealed in 2006 through to today). We pointed out what an enormous undertaking it would be for Highlands’s families to raise $150,000; our HPAC simply does not have the funds and we would be challenged to garner the commitment to raise and spend that large sum of money (it would take years of hard work to raise those funds and many feel that covered areas should be included within the school build budget, rather than funded by families).

We also reiterated that given our rain-forest climate, we view the NVSD decision not to provide covered areas as a building deficiency; rather than an exclusion of a “nice to have feature”. Schools should be built to serve the students in the climate they live in; where it rains a lot and children are required to go outside daily, offering shelter options is a necessity. Children’s needs for fresh air, exercise, and outdoor learning experiences are at stake when you take away outdoor covered area options.

The BC Ministry of Education’s school building “Area Standards” supports the inclusion of covered areas in school builds in areas of high precipitation (so they can be funded within the school capital budgets as they have been in the past). We encourage the BC Ministry of Education to ensure that the standards are upheld. The fact that the decision to include covered areas rests with each school district seems to defeat the reason the standards were created in the first place.

The NVSD is currently reviewing the policy regarding covered areas as noted in the final portion of their approved motion “to forward the issue of covered area projects to the Policy Review Committee for the development of policy and to the Presidents’ Council for future advocacy.” Our covered area committee feels that the next step is to raise community awareness of the issue of covered areas for all North Vancouver Schools and encourage members of our community to provide their input toward the policy decisions. We would like to see the NVSD policy set to include (and fund) covered areas in future school builds as well as a policy set to include (and fund) covered areas for the schools that had their covered areas taken away (either dismantled or not included in their new build).

At some point, a decision was made to stop building covered areas, even to dismantle some existing ones. We recommend a high level of public consultation and student consideration as the policies regarding covered areas are reviewed. We have learned that over the past ten years, a number of North Vancouver schools have made requests for covered areas; clearly there is a need. We encourage parents from all North Vancouver schools and members of our North Vancouver community to write to the NVSD (the Superintendent & the School Board) with your concerns regarding the need for covered areas and your recommendations as they create policies concerning them. 

In a recent survey conducted by Highland’s PAC asking families “what are some key things that HPAC members can do this year to most benefit our school?”, “work on creating a covered play area” came in at a close second to the top request “support and help develop our school learning environment”. We have had many people throughout our community tell us that covered areas are a “no brainer” given our climate. We encourage the North Vancouver School District to create a policy, and find a means to ensure covered areas for all schools. 

Discussing the Covered Play Area Design Options

Members of Highlands Covered Area Committee & HPAC and Highlands Principals met with the NVSD Finance & Facilities Dept. on Jan. 15^th to discuss the covered area options. We discussed the pros and cons of the three options (see “Highlands-Options” ). The meeting concluded with the NVSD committing to further consideration of options #1 and #3 and they will either choose their preferred option or if they deem both options to be considerations; we have offered to poll parents/teachers/students for their preference. They said that they will also look further into funding options. The $700,000 surplus resulting from the Highland’s build coming in under-budget has been spent by the NVSD on other projects, so they are looking into other funding options (and our HPAC will likely be required to contribute as well).  They will get back to us mid-February regarding the option(s) and funding. Things are looking promising! 

Additionally, as stated at the Nov 2012 NVSD public boarding meeting, the board voted to “forward the issue of covered area projects to the Policy Review Committee for the development of policy and to the Presidents’ Council for future advocacy”. We will update this web-blog when we receive any information as to how that is progressing.