UPDATE: On Thursday morning (after the print edition of the Castlegar News had come out) School District 20 announced a change to the dates of the "focus groups" set for Castlegar, Rossland and Trail. The new info is posted below.
School District 20 has set new dates for public consultations related to its “Planning for the Future” document.
On Feb. 15, a by-invitation “community conversation” will take place at the Castlegar campus of Selkirk College from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Two-hundred educators, parents, business leaders, politicians, police and members of the media have been invited to take part, and the discussion will later be posted on School Distict 20's website with the opportunity for others to provide feedback as well.
In addition, "Planning for the Future: Focus Group Meetings" -- which are open to the public -- will take place as follows:
• Castlegar Area: Tuesday, March 1, 6:30-9:30 p.m. in the Stanley Humphries Secondary School Gymnasium.
• Rossland Area: Wednesday, March 2, 6:30-9:30 p.m. in the Rossland Secondary School Gymnasium.
• Trail Area: Thursday, March 3, 6:30-9:30 p.m. in the JL Crowe Secondary School Gymnasium.
Public hearings on the controversial document were originally slated for this month, but a majority of the board voted to postpone them in the wake of criticism from various groups and individuals, including Castlegar Mayor Lawrence Chernoff and Rossland Mayor Greg Granstrom, who said in a December letter to trustees that they “strongly reject” the Planning for the Future document, as it suggests school closures in both cities.