The Quigley Elementary school site has been chosen as a new staging area for Central Okanagan Public Schools portables and school buses. 

The site was approved by the Central Okanagan Board of Education after a comprehensive study was carried out by school district staff to address significant challenges due to rapidly growing student enrolment.

The growth has created pressing space needs that can't be met at the current Dease Road operations site.

"This growth has necessitated new facilities, expansions and renovations, the increased use of portable classrooms, and the addition of many new buses to the district's growing bus transportation fleet," states a staff report. 

As an interim measure, in 2021-22 the school district created dedicated parking spaces adjacent to 脡cole George Elliot Secondary and 脡cole Hudson Road Elementary to accommodate school buses in Lake Country and on the Westside, but additional space has still been required.   

The staff report outlined four possible locations to expand portable and school bus staging space allocation. Besides Quigley Elementary, they included school district land at Crawford Estates, the Hall/Johnson road area and Pearson Elementary. 

Of the four, the Quigley was the lowest cost at $165,000 as the other three ranged from $385,000 (Pearson) to $640,000 (Crawford). 

The advantages for Quigley outlined in the study were good accessibility, proximity to the Dease Road operations site, existing infrastructure and minimal site preparation required. 

The site is expected to accommodate a minimum of 10 buses and 10 portable classrooms, with access to electricity infrastructure for buses and portables, integrated security measures, parking and washroom access for staff. 

The suggested site is on underutilized space on the north side of the Quigley school grounds, with access from Graham Road which would not interfere with the elementary school's existing pick-up and drop-off zones for students.

The current outside-fenced childcare play space to the north of the site would be relocated to the south side of the school grounds in an appropriate location. 

The Okanagan College dual credit programs would also be minimally impacted by the addition, as any interruption of access to parking and field space would be addressed. 

The board trustees endorsed the move, after having initially called for more feedback, in particular consultation with impacted stakeholders, when the move was initially brought before them in November 2024. 

Susan Bauhart, president of the Central Okanagan Teachers Association, at a finance and planning committee meeting on April 16 when this issue was discussed had raised potential concern of Quigley being considered as a site for Rutland Middle School to be relocated, and how losing space to the staging facility would impact that plan. 

But Kevin Kaardal, Central Okanagan Public Schools, reiterated that the Quigley relocation proposal has been rejected by the ministry of education and childcare. 

"We do not expect going forward for that proposal to be reconsidered," said Kaardal, as the board of education is now looking at options to upgrade Rutland Middle at its current site.