The Calgary public school board’s all-boys program will close in the summer of 2025, leaving some concerned about programming for boys with learning challenges.

Calgary Board of Education trustees unanimously voted Tuesday to close the All Boys Program at Sir James Lougheed School, despite concerns from the community about the capacity for neurodivergent students’ needs in regular programming.

According to a report published ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, the program was initially created to boost self-confidence and foster healthy relationships among boys through coaching and mentorship. However, the program’s goal has shifted over time to address increasing special education supports, something administration said it was not meant to do. Around 61 per cent of students in the All Boys Program are students with special education needs, compared with the CBE average of 19.4 per cent.

Administration told trustees on Tuesday that students within the All Boys Program do not meet the threshold for special education placement and are better placed in an inclusive environment with a wide variety of resources available. Teachers, staff, parents and students will still work together to address individual learning needs, but creating a specific program for neurodiverse kids could be cost-prohibitive.

Operating the school at current enrolment levels – 33 students as of September 2024 – is not sustainable, and the steady decline in enrolment means it is more challenging to offer a full range of educational programs, admin said.

An additional $470,000 in funding over the next five years would be needed to support the program because the small student population means it doesn’t get sufficient funding based on Alberta’s per-student funding guidelines. The report also says the overall cost per student at the All Boys Program is 60 per cent higher than the average cost per student.

Closing the program would allow the CBE to distribute the funds and resources equitably, the report said.

Around 90 per cent of the students will also be able to attend school closer to home and the rest live close to the Sir James Lougheed School building. The impact of enrolment in their designated schools is expected to be low because there is space available in most of the designated schools, the report said.

All boys program to close after the current school year

The All Boys Program will be closed in June 2025. Students will be transitioned between schools with a plan developed in collaboration with teachers, students, staff and families, administration said.

“What was clearly evident throughout the public engagement process to consider the closure of all boys program is that families and students find tremendous value in this program. They love their school, they love their peers and they love their teachers. There’s little doubt that families find the education that their children are receiving is excellent,” said board Chair Patricia Bolger at Tuesday’s meeting.

“I’m satisfied that all closure of school procedures have been followed, and I’m confident that our administration, in collaboration with the families, will invest the time needed to create thoughtful and extensive transition plans for each and every student at all boys school. For these reasons, I am in favor of closure of all boys program.”

Trustee Nancy Close said while the decision to close the school was a hard one, it did not diminish the fact that the program was successfully meeting the learning needs of neurodiverse children.

“The decision I need to make today is whether the current program at Sir James Lougheed School is sustainable, and my answer is no. So, I support the closure of this program, a program that has, without question, become valuable to the families and students who have participated in it,” Close said.

“although I know this will be perceived as an empty statement for families who will be devastated by this decision, I know that we have all learned a lot about the personal important impact of the professional expertise and dedication of the staff and families of the all boys program has had on the lives of all the students, school students and their families. It is very much recognized that you have built a strong community of support.”

Community members confused about program closure

The program closure comes after administration recommended the board to consult the public in September, in accordance with the board’s bylaws and provincial laws.

According to Trustee Susan Vukadinovic, around 20 people sent written submissions – nine are current parents, seven are external community members and four parents.

CBE administration also held a public input meeting on Oct. 22.

Many people who attended the public input meeting or submitted written submissions raised concerns about the potential social and wellness impacts on the students after the program is closed. Others said many students of the All Boys Program chose to leave their regular programs because their needs were not being met.

One parent and one grandparent spoke about the lack of common knowledge about the All Boys Program.

What about a program just for neurodiverse kids?

Vukadinovic asked administration on Tuesday whether the school district can develop a specialized class specifically dedicated to elementary school-aged boys and girls with special education needs.

Jennifer Turner, superintendent of school improvement, told trustees that it is important that the CBE provides support in the least restrictive environment for neurodiverse learners while keeping in mind that the district has finite resources.

“What we need to be doing in terms of our organization is ensuring that we have a careful match between the assessed need of our student population and all of the diverse learning needs and prudently ensuring that we are responding with appropriate resources, with just right of fit, and being able to ensure that there’s an equitable access to these services across our student body,” Turner said.

Joanne Pitman, chief superintendent of schools, said the CBE is making really challenging choices and recommendations regarding special education resources because of limited and constrained resources.

“We are making really challenging choices and recommendations in that perspective, and that is not intended to detract from the need, but it’s being confident that we are serving the need in the context of our available resources. It’s having the greatest impact, and that continues to be what administration looks to assess around how we move resources,” she said.

Trustee Close said the CBE should continue to explore whether it is feasible to establish a separate program for neurodiverse students.

“We know that student success is a partnership with parents and the relationship with families is critical. I also know that our priority is social, emotional well being for both students and staff, we will continue to prioritize the value of belonging for all students as an essential part of success for any student that needs to transition, whether it’s moving on to Grade 7 or within K to 6 to a new school location, I know that the transition will be thoughtfully and carefully made together.”