Commuting between Calgary high schools while upgrading classes was a likely possibility for mature students. Now, all classes for Chinook Learning Services (CLS) will be centralized, right on the CTrain line.
After being split between Forest Lawn, Lord Beaverbrook and James Fowler High Schools in recent years, the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) has leased space at Bow Valley College (BVC) and will be moving all CLS courses downtown beginning next semester.
The CBE’s Education Director, Ken Weipert, said the move was an easy yes for CBE staff.
“Now that we have an opportunity with a centralized space at Bow Valley College to bring all of the high school upgrading team together, it just makes a lot of sense. Our high schools are very, very full and we need as much space as possible in them just to support the growing high school population in Calgary,” he told LWC.
This semester, CLS has just shy of 950 students enrolled, spaces that can now go to high school-age students, without sacrificing placement for upgrading.
With limited placements available, many students were stuck commuting between locations for classes, sometimes twice a day, Weipert said. Finding a space accessible through public transit has been a key priority in the search for a new home, which placed BVC among the prime candidates.
“We couldn’t rely on our students needing to drive to get somewhere, because many are trying to finish high school living at home, and they may or may not have access to a vehicle,” said Weipert.
“In some cases, students with a variety of courses have to visit multiple locations, if not day-to-day, sometimes even morning to afternoon on the same days of the week. Having them all together and offering more classes in one space makes it more efficient for students.”
Weipert said the move to consolidate upgrading courses was always a hope and the efficiencies the move will bring should also lead to stronger programming.
The current deal between the CBE and BVC includes a two-year lease, though Weipert noted both organizations are eyeing a long-term extension.
Not only does the move make sense numbers-wise, but it will also familiarize CLS students with BVC’s post-secondary environment, Weipert said.
“Our high school upgrading serves two purposes. It’s for students that are trying to finish courses required for graduation and for students who are working to upgrade their marks a little bit for post-secondary entrance,” he said.
In many cases, upgrading courses at BVC may be students’ first taste of post-secondary, or their re-entry into school.
Second-semester registration is now open, with courses offered in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
