ABBOTSFORD, B.C. (CCN) — Two Catholic schools, located only metres away from each other, have decided to capitalize on their respective circumstances and proximity by planning for the future under a single governance model.
Families at St. James & St. Ann’s Elementary School and St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary School in the Fraser Valley community of Abbotsford were informed recently of a new joint Regional Education Committee as the first phase of a new model, called One Campus.
The goal is “a seamless kindergarten-to-Grade-12 Catholic educational experience,” the announcement to parents said.
Families have been told not to expect immediate changes. Details such as changes to the school names and uniforms are not planned for the near future.
Education committees implement archdiocesan policies and set local school policies. Jake Turek and Cara Hudson, co-chairs of the Regional Education Committee, said the One Campus initiative grew out of concern that Catholic elementary education in the area had not kept pace with the rapidly growing population.
“The Fraser Valley is growing, as are our parish communities, yet our elementary school system has not grown at the same pace,” they said in a joint emailed response to Canadian Catholic News.
The two schools reflect what is happening with Catholic education across the country, with the competing pressures of population growth in some places and enrolment decline in areas that are losing young families.
The two schools already show signs of some integration, with many families sending their children to both schools, which share a common campus and parish church, St. James.
While the schools coordinate in many areas, they operate as separate organizations, which means competing fundraisers, overlapping parent obligations, and separate administration and planning.
Turek and Hudson said One Campus will allow enrolment, programming, facilities and resources to be considered across the entire school community rather than separately.
Organizers say a unified model could bring a smoother progression for students from kindergarten through Grade 12, greater continuity in education and faith formation, and a stronger sense of belonging within one Catholic school community. They also expect expanded academic, arts, athletic, leadership, mentorship and service opportunities, although no new programs or curriculum changes have been announced.
The plan also could make it easier for students to enter the Catholic school system at different grades, including students coming from other Catholic elementary schools, public schools or a homeschool experience.
St. James & St. Ann’s principal Onika Bryson said the elementary school continues to gain students, particularly in Grades 6 and 7, as public school students transition out of elementary and into middle school — a time when some families begin looking at changing schools.
The elementary school operates mainly as a single-stream school, limiting most grades to approximately 30 students. “As students move toward the intermediate grades, we keep gaining kids,” Bryson said. The result is waiting lists for some grades.
At St. John Brébeuf, the situation is different, with more capacity and flexibility. Bryson said international student enrolment has dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic.
St. John Brébeuf principal Gianni Bittante said there is room for growth, but the schools have to look at building up capacity a decade down the road.
“The area is growing, and there is space,” he said. “This is a beautiful parcel of land in a great area, and we can build on it.”
The One Campus concept is something that has been talked about for decades, said Bittante. “Before I got here, people were asking, ‘Why isn’t this one campus? Why isn’t it one school?’ People have been talking about it forever.”
