The Kamloops-Thompson School District has changed three school catchment areas to relieve the enrolment pressure at Westmount Elementary School.

It says about 95 Westmount students will go to either David Thompson Elementary or Westsyde Elementary as of this coming September to alleviate enrolment pressures at Westmount – which is at 181 per cent of capacity – as well as to balance student enrolment and capacity utilization at all three schools.

Westmount students currently in Kindergarten to Grade 5 who live north of Raven Drive to Stagecoach Drive and Cantle Drive will go to David Thompson Elementary while those north of Stagecoach will go to Westsyde Elementary. You’ll find a map of the changes here.

Students who are currently in Grade 6 and their siblings will be allowed to stay at Westmount Elementary for the 2022-23 school year if they want to, with the district noting there will be buses for students traveling to both David Thompson Elementary and Westsyde Elementary.

“Given SD73’s current enrolment pressures – we are growing at a rate of one medium-sized elementary school (250 students) each year – catchment changes are our only strategy left, but not a solution,” Board Chair Heather Grieve said.

“In making the catchment changes, we are temporarily solving our over-enrolment pressures, and such changes are not favored by some, and rightfully so.”

SD73 says about 41 per cent of Westmount Students are currently learning in one of six portables, which has led to concerns about traffic both before and after school.

“The Board of Education values community input and we will engage in a consultation process to hear how the Board can best support students and staff changing schools for September,” Grieve added.

“The Board will continue to advocate for a new school in Batchelor Heights as the only satisfactory remedy to this fast-paced urban growth.”