Dear Editor:
I am a parent writing in follow-up to your June 16 story regarding covered areas in North Vancouver schools (Playground Shelters a Nice-to-have: School Board).
Since most of us can recall, North Vancouver schools have had covered play areas - flat covered areas that children can stand and play under. Clearly, past decision makers recognized that given our rainforest climate, students should be provided with shelter options when they don't want to play in the downpour.
The B.C. Ministry of Education's "area standards" state that they will fund covered areas in school districts with annual precipitation above 2,000 millimetres. Environment Canada's climate data demonstrates that North Vancouver's annual precipitation is 2,537 mm, well above the 2,000 mm funding qualification guideline.
However, the North Vancouver school district is referencing some source of data that reports the annual precipitation 111 mm below the 2,000 mm guideline. How can their source be so far off the well-referenced Environment Canada's climate data? And if their source is so close (only 111 mm below the 2,000 mm level), why don't they turn to credible data that secures capital funding for sheltered areas for their North Vancouver students?
I sincerely hope the school board will take a more comprehensive look at the precipitation data and create policy that ensures covered areas are a component of all North Vancouver schools.
Karen Magelund North Vancouver
