School District 57 Prince George

School District 57 Prince George (SD 57) is a school district in central British Columbia that encompasses urban Prince George, its surroundings, and the outlying communities of McBride and Valemount to the southeast, and Mackenzie to the north.

History

Overview

Land developers organized and sponsored the first schools within Prince George.^[1] By 1914, one high and three elementary schools existed.^[2] Within the area of what would become SD 57, the establishment of separate school districts (usually comprising a single school), totalled 9 in 1911–1920, 17 in 1921–1930, and 11 in 1931–1940.^[3] During the Great Depression, centralization increased because local boards abrogated their responsibilities, forcing the installation of official trustees and creating larger administrative units.^[4]

SD 57 & Fraser-Fort George
Prince George Mackenzie McBride Valemount Hixon Tête Jaune Cache Bear Lake McLeod Lake Willow River Larger communities
Location in British Columbia

Attracting and retaining qualified rural teachers proved difficult. Factors included salaries,^[5] scathing inspectors,^[6] isolation, community factions,^[7] no running water, no electricity, inadequate heat,^[8] teaching multiple grades,^[9] and sometimes an expectation to organize the various children's social activities for the community at large.^[10] Rural schools were dependent upon a smaller and volatile local tax base for funding. When an economic downturn, fire, or depleted accessible timber, closed a sawmill (the primary employer in most rural communities), workers relocated, student numbers dropped, and the tax base collapsed.^[11]

Rural school buildings were usually rudimentary, and many in a poor state of repair. Equipment and supplies were limited.^[12] Consequently, rural students, receiving the barest elementary programs,^[13] lacked educational opportunities, and few progressed to a secondary school offered only by a main centre.^[14]

The 1946 implementation^[15] of the 1945 Cameron Report into BC school financing and administration^[16] created centralized larger districts. Benefits to rural schools were a broader tax base,^[17] to Prince George schools an augmentation of existing infrastructure,^[18] and to all schools an increase in provincial funding from 30 to 50 percent.^[19] The earlier municipal districts provided no guidance as to setting boundaries, because many were quite small, and 90 percent of the province was unorganized.^[20] The new Prince George school district boundaries were equidistant between Quesnel southward, Vanderhoof westward, and at Penny southeastward.^[21] On the disbanding of local boards, the former Prince George one, comprising members of civic and economic stature, became the interim board.^[15] The elected 1948 board comprised four city and three rural representatives,^[22] reaffirming some degree of local control.^[19]

The new board did not operate with complete autonomy, but had to avail itself of the experience, training, and knowledge of local inspectors of schools,^[23] who represented the province. The latter, who had been regarded as faultfinders by local trustees, became mentors aligned with the centralized trustees.^[24] The board became a buffer between local residents and the province,^[25] and the inspectors were freed from petty management issues.^[26]

Burgeoning student numbers throughout the 1950s saw massive increases in teacher recruitment and classroom capacity.^[27] Many new schools served residential development along the new highways north and west.^[28] However by the mid 1950s, building remote rural schools rarely occurred because of maintenance challenges, and from the late 1950s, numerous schools closed as mills closed.^[29]

In 1970, SD 58 McBride merged into SD 57, and its board dissolved. The new enlarged school district matches the boundaries of the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George.^[30]

Board of trustees and superintendents

Schools

^A . Includes schools which had existed prior to 1945 within the initial boundaries of SD 57 Prince George, and excludes SD 58 McBride schools closed prior to 1970.
^B . Formerly SD 58 McBride.
^a . A.k.a Airport Hill.^[162]
^b . Integrated into the school district in Sep 1959 to be primary section of Winton School.^[74]
^c . Called Hart (Heart) Lake;^[163] in 1965 renamed Bear Lake.^[164]
^d . Called Blackburn Road initially.^[165]
^e . Called Van Bow initially; accommodated at Connaught elementary.^[166] renamed Carney Hill;^[167] Feb 1968 building opening;^[168] Aboriginal Choice assumed building.
^f . In 1910, one-room log building built; later frame building; in 1916 replaced by two-room building known as Millar Addition on Queensway Ave; in 1963 reconstructed; a.k.a. Fort George Central; in 1998, became a traditional choice school.^[169][170]
^g . Former John McInnis Jr. Secondary building.
^h . Accommodated at John McInnis prior to Feb 1978 building opening.^[171]
^j . Accommodated at Lakewood Jr. Sec. prior to Feb 1978 building opening.^[172]
^k . In 1998 became a choice school and renamed Dunster Fine Arts School.^[173] In 2010, Dunster Fine Arts School Society acquired property.^[74]
^l . Accommodated at College Heights elementary^[174] prior to Apr 1977 building opening.^[175]
^m . Known as Birchwood during early construction phase; relocatable building soon moved; in 1975 permanent building.^[176]
^n . Accommodated at Vanway elementary^[177] prior to Oct 1979 building opening.^[74]
^o . Accommodated at Austin Rd.^[178] prior to May 1977 building opening.^[179]
^p . Called South Central;^[180] in 1959, renamed Harwin.^[181]
^r . In 2010, middle school became elementary.^[70]
^s . Accommodated at Highglen elementary.^[166] prior to Jun 1977 building opening.^[74]
^t . In 1985, Montessori program established at Highglen elementary;^[182] after 2013 fire relocated to former Gladstone elementary building;^[183][184] in 2015 renamed Polaris Montessori.
^u . Called Canyon Creek; in 1958, renamed Hixon Superior; in 1965, became elementary.^[185]
^w . In 1957, opened as elementary;^[76] in 1961, became elementary/junior high;^[186] in 1967, became solely a junior high.^[103]
^x . Called Mile 4 at the Stevens and Rahn sawmill;^[187] in 1956, renamed when mill relocated about 30 miles to Kerry Lake.^[188]
^y . Called Prince George City elementary or Prince George public school, opened in three cottages on Vancouver St; in 1916, four-room building opened on Winnipeg St; in 1929 renamed King George V elementary.^[107][189]
^α . École Lac des Bois assumed former Lakewood Junior Secondary building.^[190]
^β . Accommodated at various schools.^[191] prior to Oct 1979 building opening.^[192]
^δ . Refer McBride Secondary; c. 1970, renamed McBride Centennial elementary.^[193]
^ε . Refer McBride Secondary.
^ζ . Accommodated at various schools.^[194] prior to Sep 1979 building opening.^[195]
^η . Completed spring 1973;^[196] relocatable building soon moved to be replaced by permanent building.^[197]
^θ . Former Carney Hill elementary building.^[198] Aboriginal Choice to 2012.^[199]
^λ . Accommodated at Westwood elementary.^[166] prior to Apr 1977 building opening.^[200][201]
^μ . Refer Prince George Secondary.
^ξ . From 1927 Millar Addition school used for overflow elementary students;^[74][202] in 1929 renamed Connaught;^[189] operated until about 1936.^[203] in 1946, reopened;^[204] in 1978, renamed Ron Brent elementary.^[205]
^π . Called McMillan Creek; immediately renamed Shady Valley.^[76][206]
^ρ . In 1910, a room rented; in 1913 new building opened.^{[98][169][207]}
^ς . Accommodated in portables at other schools^[208] prior to Jan 1994 building opening.^[209]
^σ . Accommodated at Quinson elementary.^[166] prior to May 1977 building opening.^[210]
^χ . School in adjacent Swift Creek 1916–35. Valemount opened in 1935.^[76][211]
^ψ . In 1956, elementary became a superior school offering to grade 10;^[212] in 1974 extended to grade 12.^[213]
^ω . In 1974, closed with integration of students into regular classes.^[74]

Enrolment