Parents of students entering new schools in the Greater Victoria School District (SD61) will have to keep new catchment boundaries in mind when they register for the 2020/2021 school year.
In a news release Tuesday, SD61 says it’s been busy preparing staff, schools and future school sites affected by the boundary changes approved in June with the intention of alleviating capacity concerns.
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The changes include the addition of new catchment boundaries for South Park, Cloverdale and Bank Street, the reopening of Richmond school and new student spaces at the Bank Street facility.
The school district has also adjusted boundaries to align with available space in schools and revisions to catchment pathways.
Students currently enrolled can remain in their assigned schools until the next school level transition, but new student registrations need to register in their new catchment area.
For siblings that might be separated by the catchment changes, the district allows the sibling enrolled in a school where the catchment has changed to apply for a transfer to their new school or, a new incoming student can apply to transfer to the same school as their older sibling and receive a ‘non-catchment sibling priority.’
The first priority is re-enrolling students, then catchment area siblings. The third priority is catchment area children and non-catchment siblings impacted by changes.
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Registration for SD61 students starts in January – with early French immersion (Kindergarten and Grade 1) registration from Jan. 6 to 10, Kindergarten registration and transfers from Jan. 20 to 24, late French immersion (Grade 6) registration from Jan 27 to 31 and all new Grade 1 to Grade 12 registrations from Feb. 10 to 18.
For more information on catchment boundary changes and registration, visit sd61.bc.ca.