School enrollment wars heating up in B.C.

The West Vancouver school district is getting top marks -- and creating controversy -- for its methods of attracting new students.

The goal in the affluent district is to buck the trend of declining enrollment. And they're scoring big-time, while at the same time pitting schools against each other.

While declining enrollment is shutting down schools all over B.C., schools like Sentinel Secondary are bursting at the seams.

Sentinel even has a waiting list. Parents are attracted to the high scores from the Fraser Institute and its special programs. At Sentinel, there is French immersion, computer immersion, super achievers and several sports academies.

If they're good enough, students can be out on the soccer pitch three times a week with some of the best coaches in town.

"We have to keep innovating and meeting the expectations of our parents -- our customer," West Vancouver school board chair Mary-Ann Booth said.

As for those "customers," 11 per cent of the ones in West Van schools are from out of district.

"They're coming everywhere from Squamish to Coquitlam," Booth said.

Most of them are from North Vancouver, where like many other school boards in B.C., the number of students is dropping.

Balmoral Junior Secondary will close in 2012.

"I think the closure of this particular school has caused a lot of upheaval in this neighbourhood," North Vancouver parent Alexandra Best told CTV.

"We know that the kids are in the neighbourhood and are making other choices."

The push for choice began with the BC Liberals in 2002, when the government said your child could go to any school that had room.

"Well, that's part of the philosophy that's underscoring this provincial governments view on education," Susan Lambert of the B.C. Teachers' Federation said.

"It's the choice agenda. It's the competitive agenda."

Best says marketing education in West Vancouver has been a success.

"The funding follows the student, and that has been an effective method for the District of West Vancouver," Best said.

"They advertise in our local papers, and the parents see these ads, and you know, they like what they see."

But Lambert says the focus should be on giving children a quality education at school -- in their own neighbourhood.

"I think we're trying to build communities that are healthy and safe and supportive of every child -- which means that you go to your neighbourhood school. You don't get bussed or driven."

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Mi-Jung Lee