To The Editor,
My name is Sharon Storms. I am proud to say that I was raised in Lumby and have been serving the community of Lumby as a social worker since 2007. A great deal of the service I provide has been to past students of JW Inglis Elementary and present students of Charles Bloom Secondary School. I have been employed by Whitevalley Community Resource Center since I began my career in social work in 2007. My caseload at Whitevalley largely consists of grade 7 and 8 high school students.
This article is written from my own personal experience with supporting a large population of students who have been significantly impacted by the closure of Whitevale Elementary School. My opinions are solely my own. They should not be interpreted to be considered a reflection of what other community members, teachers, or services providers in Lumby may believe or feel.
Whitevale Elementary School has a fascinating history, as shared with me by Mike and Suzette Storey. The Storey’s are long time Lumby residents, having lived next door to the Whitevale School for as long as I can remember. They are a family that values education, as evident in their strong ties to the history of Whitevale Elementary.
The history of Whitevale Elementary School goes all the way back to 1890 when Mr. Tom Norris came to Lumby, and the community gained its first schoolteacher. Tom made Lumby his home and raised a family in the community. Later, his daughter Lloyda Norris, followed in his footsteps and also became a schoolteacher.
Lloyda married Cecil Wills and both begun working for School District 22: Lloyda as a long-time teacher and Cecil as the School Bus Superintendent for the Lumby/Cherryville area. When Cecil and Lloyda retired, they purchased land on Whitevale Road. Later, Cecil and Lloyda were approached by School District 22 to sell the land for the Whitevale Elementary School. This land was sold to School District 22 for the expressed purpose of Education for Lumby’s children.
You may ask what all of this history has to do with Mike and Suzette Storey. Mike is the Great Grandson of Tom and Edna Norris, and Grandson to Cecil and LIoyda Wills. Mike and Suzette Storey have lived on the remaining land for the last 43 years. Their son and his family have also lived on the remaining property neighboring them until recently. Their family has hoped for many years that the school would be re-opened or that the building be used for educational purposes. Their hope was for the legacy the Noris family built would continue.
Whitevale Elementary closed its doors in 2006. This resulted in the Grade 7’s being filtered into Charles Boom. Many would argue that this was not the best decision for our community. Since the closure, teachers and principals in this community have worked tirelessly to help facilitate a successful transition for the Grade 7’s year after year. There has been no lack of effort, as they continuously go above and beyond to fight for the best interests of the students. They have worked so hard to try to create a middle year program tailored to the grade 7’s needs.
Our community desperately needs a middle school. Charles Bloom has extremely complex and diverse needs. Integrating the Grade 7’s into Charles Bloom has impacted their wellness, health, and safety. This can be reflected in the dramatic increase of referrals to Whitevalley Counsellors to support middle years students from Bloom. Currently, Bloom is the only High School in the district that includes Grade 7. If this were a successful model, one might argue why it is not being implemented at other high schools within the district.
While there is a definite need for a Middle School within our community, another need within our community is a space for programming purposes. We have a variety of community groups that offer a multitude of programs. An available space for these programs to run has been an ongoing issue within the community. It is odd that Whitevale School continues to sit empty, despite such obvious needs.
On more than one occasion, community members have expressed that they do not wish to see the building sold and hoped that it could be used for educational purposes. This was evident in the meeting on June 26th, as well as through a survey distributed on May 2, 2024.
During this meeting, many ideas were offered by the community. Just a few ideas included a middle school, a childcare facility, as well as a partnership between the district and the community for a hub/center with a focus on health and wellness, and also early years programming. The district was clear they were not in the business of community service and childcare.
An interesting fact was brought up during the meeting on June 26th. Nearly 25% of families with school aged children in Lumby are choosing a different option other than Bloom or Inglis. Should we not be exploring why so many families are seeking options outside of the community they currently live in? Is it a lack of available programming options within our community? You would think a large vacant space for a variety of educational programs to run out of, such as the Whitevale School, would be a reasonable solution to the exodus of students and families from schools within our community.
Despite the many ideas presented, the tone from the district during both the meeting on June 26th, as well as from the survey was that the Lumby community has struggled to come up with ideas of how to use the empty Whitevale School, despite it being readily available for quite some time.
Upon learning this, I decided to pursue a rental agreement with the school district. Being a homeschool provider as well as an art teacher, I felt my programs would be the perfect fit for a rental agreement. I contacted school district 22 and spoke with several staff members, who also shared that the space was indeed, available for rent. I was informed of the cost, as well as how to access rental forms online. I filled out two rental forms. One for my homeschool program and one for the art classes I teach through the Monashee Arts Council. I paid a processing fee, and anxiously waited to hear back. Unfortunately, both of my applications were denied, with no reason as to why.
As one can imagine, I was quite confused. I wanted answers as to why my applications had been denied. I contacted the district and arranged a meeting. A few weeks later, on May 27, at 3:00 myself and another community member met with a district employee to discuss the idea of a community hub and a potential plan for use of the building. My hope was to also get information regarding the condition of the building and operating costs. I also wanted answers as to why my rental applications had been denied.
During this meeting on May 28th we presented a plan for community use. We raised the question of a long-term lease. It was explained that the only option would be for the community to purchase the building. A long-term lease was not an option that would be considered. When asked about operating costs and potential costs of repairs needed, we were told that those numbers could not be disclosed. I questioned how the community would be able to pursue a purchase without knowing first, the associated costs with the building. We were told that we needed to be patient, and that information would be released to the public in the Fall when the building was posted for sale. As of late, there has been no information shared.
Recently however, there was an announcement that Lumby will receive more than 11.5 million dollars for a childcare center. This will be a partnership between School District 22 and Whitevalley Community Resource Center. While this is amazing opportunity for our community and childcare is a huge need, one might ask why a brand-new building would be built when we have a vacant one going unused. Why is so much money being put in one direction? Could this money be better stretched among many community initiatives and needs?
Sincerely
Sharon Storms
BSW,MSW, RSW
