An old plan for a baseball academy in Nanaimo school district could be revived.
A previous school board approved a baseball academy at Wellington Secondary School in February 2013, but a target of 25 students was not met and the district ultimately decided not to proceed. At its March 2 meeting, the district education committee recommended that the academy move to Dover Bay Secondary School.
The program would be offered in a multi-graded course in one semester at Dover Bay, said the school district. The block would be equivalent to a physical education credit.
Kerry Anderson, a Dover Bay teacher, is the driving force behind the academy, said Robyn Gray, Dover Bay principal. Anderson is associated with both the Nanaimo Minor Baseball Association and the Vancouver Island Baseball Institute and through those connections, he learned that there is interest and support for the academy, she said.
A minimum of 25 students would again be needed in order to make it financially viable, and Gray said that in speaking to a number of her students, there is also excitement about the potential academy.
The program would be paid for through a semester fee of $700 and students would have to provide their own equipment.
The recommendation will need approval at the regular board level – the next regular meeting is March 30. With that in place, Gray said student intake can begin.
“We’ll be looking at putting together a public presentation that will be held at Dover Bay ... we’ll share what the registration procedures would be, which would be very similar to all of the academies, because it is a district program, so students and families across the district could apply to come to the baseball academy,” said Gray.
She said preference will be given to Dover Bay catchment area students, followed by students in the school district and then out-of-district students.
The plan is to have the academy established in time for September.