The Vancouver Board of Education voted last night at a public Board meeting to approve the proposed changes to the catchment boundaries of Carleton, Cunningham, Weir and MacCorkindale elementary schools. These changes will reduce the catchment area for Carleton and expand the catchment areas for Cunningham, Weir and MacCorkindale.

These catchment boundary changes prioritize convenience and choice for Carleton catchment families by enabling them to easily apply to nearby catchment schools. No student will be required to change schools because of these changes to catchment boundaries. Kindergarten students who apply to enrol at Cunningham for September 2023 by January 31, will have sibling priority regardless of where they reside in the former Carleton catchment.

Students who reside in the Carleton catchment area have been attending neighbouring schools since the building was closed following a fire in 2016. Since that time, Carleton has not accommodated VSB students. Given the extensive damage, re-opening Carleton is not financially feasible now, or at a future date. 

Prior to the Board’s decision about the catchment changes, students living in the Carleton catchment were offered a spot at Cunningham Elementary, where there is significant space. Families living in the Carleton catchment who wished to send their children to other nearby schools have had to take an extra step and apply to their school of choice through a cross-boundary application. With the approved catchment changes, families who formerly resided in the Carleton catchment and now reside in the Weir or MacCorkindale catchment can now apply directly to attend their new catchment school. 

An engagement process involving families, staff and community members in the impacted school communities was undertaken from November to December of 2022. 

For more information on this change and to read the engagement summary report, visit govsb.ca/carleton.