A simmering dispute over daycare spaces and programs in Osoyoos is expected to cool down after trustees with School District 53 were expected to support a motion Wednesday night declining a recommendation to expand daycare space at Osoyoos Elementary School.
After several weeks of review and discussion, the school district’s Finance and Facilities Committee has recommended not to convert another classroom inside the elementary school, which would allow for more pre-school spaces, said board chair Marieze Tarr.
“Trustees have discussed providing additional daycare spaces at Osoyoos Elementary School based on a recent community forum, where several members of the public supported their desire for more daycare options in the community,” said Tarr.
“However, after careful review by the finance and facilities committee, it has been determined there is sufficient space in the community and additional (daycare) space is not required at this time.
“We (school board) will continue to monitor the need for additional space in the future.”
A recent Community Learning Forum sponsored by School District 53 on May 28 in Osoyoos was held to talk about the possible expansion of daycare facilities at the elementary school, said Tarr.
It was clear to the several trustees who attended the community forum that the parents in attendance that night “were very vocal in that they wanted more choice and they wanted a second daycare option available in Osoyoos,” said Tarr.
The Penticton and District Community Resources Society (PDCRS) has been operating a pre-school program at Osoyoos Elementary School for the past five years.
The PDCRS had filed an official application with the SD 53 board to use unused classroom space at Osoyoos Elementary School to expand its pre-school and after-school programs.
This has caused some conflict with the Osoyoos Child Care Centre, which is ironically located only a stones-throw from Osoyoos Elementary School, as the local daycare centre continues to operate under capacity.
Cheryl Smith, the manager of the Osoyoos Child Care Centre, said her centre has and will continue to provide quality daycare services for Osoyoos families now and in the future no matter what happens at the elementary school.
“We are committed to providing families of Osoyoos with the highest quality early childhood education experience possible,” she said. “Our first priority always has and will be what is in the best interests of the children entrusted to our care.
“As such, it is imperative that we maintain strong professional relationships with all outside agencies including School District 53, Osoyoos Elementary School, Interior Health, and PDCRS.
“We have voiced our concerns at the Community Forum that was held and are confident that those entrusted with making this decision will do so based on facts and what is in the best interests of our community as a whole.”
During a presentation to town council two weeks ago, former mayor Tom Shields presented a nine-minute YouTube to councillors strongly suggesting they should call for an inquiry into the daycare situation in Osoyoos.
Shields suggested the PDRCS application to expand programs at the elementary school would potentially eliminate several jobs at the Osoyoos Child Care Centre and ‘would take money from the community” because they don’t hire locally and have no vested interest in this community.
Tanya Behardian, the executive director of the PDCRS, did not return phone calls after several attempts by the Osoyoos Times to contact her.
Following Shields’ presentation, council voted unanimously to ask Tarr and School District 53 superintendent Beverly Young to appear before them as soon as possible to answer their questions about the daycare dilemma in Osoyoos.
No date has yet been set for that meeting.
Tarr said the provincial government gave a detailed mandate to school boards across the province in February to formulate plans to use empty classroom spaces for potential daycare spaces at all B.C. schools.
“We don’t have any choice … the province has told us we must look at using empty classrooms for potential daycare programs,” she said.
Not only has Osoyoos Elementary School had a pre-school program for the past several years, but Tucelnuit School has a toddler and infant program and small daycare program as well, said Tarr.
Part of the new South Okanagan Secondary School, which is being rebuilt following a devastating fire two years ago, will also provide daycare spaces and programs, she added.
The situation is Osoyoos is “delicate” because the Osoyoos Child Care Centre is a stones-throw away from the elementary school and is not operating at full capacity, said Tarr.
The Osoyoos Child Care Centre opened at its current location on 89 Street in 1997 and was built in large part from community donations. A volunteer board of directors is responsible for its annual operations.
There are roughly 50 children attending pre-school, regular and after-school programs during the school year, but there are still openings in all programs, said Smith.
The community forum made it clear many Osoyoos parents want options when it comes to daycare programs and services, said Tarr.
This fact combined with the provincial mandate that forces school districts to look at using unused classroom space for daycare services gave the school board no other option but to look at expanding daycare services at the elementary school, she said.
After careful review, the finance and facilities committee has decided there’s only one classroom that could potentially be expanded for daycare programs and “this isn’t enough at this time,” said Tarr.
With the potential for increased enrolment at Osoyoos Elementary School in the near future, the school district “didn’t want to get stuck with having to get this classroom back” for regular school programs if enrolment does increase, she said.
Tarr confirmed the Osoyoos Child Care Centre has expressed interest in operating pre-school and after-school programs out of Osoyoos Elementary School in the past so more spaces could be opened up for regular daycare programs.
Smith and the Osoyoos Child Care Centre board of directors have been invited to every public meeting regarding daycare expansion in Osoyoos and they have been apprised of the school district’s potential interest in expanding daycare programs at the school, said Tarr.
Tarr said she promised she would be “open and accountable on all matters” when elected board chair and while some members of the school district might not want to answer questions about the daycare dilemma in Osoyoos, she says it’s her duty to answer questions from any parent or member of the media to the best of her ability.
Diane Ball, who has owned and operated Di’s Daycare out of her Osoyoos home for the past 11 years, said allowing for new daycare spaces at Osoyoos Elementary School would greatly harm her business “and potentially put me out of business.”
“There are spaces available at the Osoyoos Child Care Centre, I have a few openings and there’s no waiting list anywhere in town, so I don’t know how this (application for more spaces at the elementary school) came about,” said Ball, who is also a local entertainer. “At some point, there might be a need for additional spaces, but I don’t think it’s needed now. It would really hurt the existing licensed daycares in Osoyoos that are struggling as it is. If any more spaces are created locally, it should be run by people in Osoyoos and not management in Penticton. That’s how I see it.”
BY KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
