A potential conflict is in the making between the City of Abbotsford and the board of education around the disposal of school land and assets.

Burnaby, Delta and Rossland have proposed motions to the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) to press the province to give cities first refusal rights on any properties local school districts might unload, and the opportunity to obtain school lands and facilities at minimal or no cost.

That request worries Abbotsford Board of Education chair Cindy Schafer who said management of the district assets is one of the board’s mandates.

“The upkeep and maintenance of those assets is our responsibility. It comes out of our capital budget; it just seems logical they stay our responsibility.”

Having control of school lands and buildings allows the board to consider the overall needs of the district.

The recent closure of Bakerview and Philip Sheffield elementary schools allowed the district to give Abbotsford Continuing Education (ACE) a new home, and restructure the district’s virtual school and home schooling centre.

What’s more, any revenue generated by the sale of school property is still designated for education needs, she said.

“The notion that these assets are lost to the public over time is a misnomer ... they are still held in trust for educational purposes. Nothing has been lost.”

Mayor George Peary said there’s a good chance council would support the motions being put forward to the UBCM at its annual general meeting at the beginning of October.

Peary said he and a number of other councillors have served on the board of education, and have a good appreciation of the issues trustees face and the needs of the school district.

“We’re all in it together serving the public with different mandates, but at the end of the day, there’s only one taxpayer,” he said.

“Schools are public facilities, and if local government has a valid use for the site, why would you eliminate it from the public domain?”

Continued public access to playing fields adjacent to schools is particularly important, he said. Additionally, schools can be repurposed to become community hubs serving entire neighbourhoods.

Peary said the situation is unlikely to cause any real discord in Abbotsford because the school district’s enrolment is fairly stable and widespread school closures are unlikely. Plus, the board is well known for its fiscal prudence.

The B.C. School Trustees’ Association is urging city councillors to vote against the resolutions.

President Connie Denesiuk said districts may need to sell land in one area of declining enrolment to build schools in growing neighbourhoods.

“We feel very strongly those assets need to stay with education and be used to the benefit of students,” Denesiuk said.

Schafer agreed and hopes Abbotsford won’t support the motions before the UBCM.

She hopes the city would be the first to advocate for the role of school boards.

However, a maxim she recently heard seems appropriate, she said.

“When the watering hole starts to shrink, the animals start to look at each other differently. That kind of captures what may be going on here.”

-with files from Jeff Nagel