An unprecedented joint high school between the school districts of New Westminster and Richmond is one idea that could come to fruition if the new Hamilton Area Plan is approved following a public hearing on Feb. 25.
During a planning committee meeting last week, city council members and planning staff briefly discussed the possibility of an interdistrict school. "It may be possible, but it's not something that has been worked through yet," said the Richmond district's secretary treasurer Mark De Mello.
Queensborough could have 6,000 more residents by 2031, according to its own area plan while Hamilton could see 7,000 more by 2034.
While there are examples in Metro Vancouver of schools being close enough to municipal borders to take in students from other jurisdictions - as Hamilton Elementary school does with a few Queensborough children - De Mello said he can't recall a conscious effort by two districts working together to be "multi-jurisdictional."
"There are potentially a number of barriers to this happening," said De Mello, such as differences in teaching philosophies, union agreements and services coordinated by health authorities; Richmond is served by Vancouver Coastal Health while New Westminster is served by Fraser Health Authority.
"It truly is an interesting geographic area," said De Mello, noting the city has only asked for feedback from the district as it relates to Hamilton proper.
Comments from the district will likely be limited to expanding the already at-capacity elementary school and increasing high school bus service, said De Mello.
