The first day of school can be a significant challenge for many students, and for Sarah McKenzie’s neurodivergent son, starting anew at a different school amplifies that difficulty. McKenzie observes that while the experience is overwhelming for him, the teachers are genuinely making efforts to help him integrate into the group. She believes that the year spent in the Calgary Board of Education’s (CBE) All Boys program at Sir James Lougheed School was immensely beneficial for her son. Designed to emphasize leadership and athletics, the program also provided specialized support for neurodivergent learners. Despite only spending a year there, McKenzie noticed substantial improvement in her son, stating that he thrived academically and socially, making friends and engaging with his schoolwork in ways he hadn’t before.
Unfortunately, the All Boys program was closed in June, leading to a wave of transition for students who had found a sense of belonging there. Parents were understandably frustrated by this decision, which was framed as a necessity to repurpose the school building into an elementary institution to alleviate enrollment pressures in the district. The program had a modest enrollment of about 30 students, contrasting sharply with the school’s capacity of 300. As students returned to school in September, the atmosphere was disheartening as it was not elementary-aged children filling the halls, but rather a different demographic altogether.
McKenzie highlights the lack of clear communication from the CBE regarding the timeline and reasoning behind the changes. The school has now been leased to the Canadian Criminal Justice Academy (CCJA) for two years, introducing a shocking shift for parents who believed the space would be used to benefit local families struggling with overcrowded classrooms. Many parents, including Ashley Hug, who had sent three of her four sons to the All Boys program, felt betrayed by the abrupt changes. They had sacrificed the educational stability of their children in hopes that other kids in the community would benefit from reduced class sizes.
Ashley Hug articulated the mix of anger and devastation felt by parents after learning about the school’s new tenants. The All Boys program, where her neurodivergent sons had thrived, seemed to vanish without adequate justification, leaving many parents questioning the decision. In a statement, the CBE expressed that they are exploring future uses for the building while maintaining that releasing it to a tenant was preferable to leaving it vacant. They acknowledged that their ultimate goal is to convert the building back into a school, though no timeline currently exists for that transition.
The CBE stated that considerations for future use of the school would be based on a range of factors, including enrollment and utilization rates across other nearby schools. Given that around 20% of students across the system have special education needs, and a significant portion of the All Boys program’s participants required specialized services, the program had catered to a unique need that many families were passionate about preserving. Parents expressed that the small class sizes in the All Boys program allowed for personalized learning experiences, which supported their sons considerably well.
In conclusion, the closure of the All Boys program and the subsequent lease of the school has stirred feelings of anger and disappointment among parents of neurodivergent students. They had hoped that the changes would lead to better educational conditions not just for their children but for other local children as well. As the CBE considers future uses for Sir James Lougheed School, many families remain vigilant, advocating for the return of specialized programs that cater to unique learning needs. The focus is on ensuring that decisions made by the educational board truly benefit students, particularly those who thrive in nurturing, tailored learning environments.
