The school district is taking a second look at the International Baccalaureate program to see if there's enough demand to justify bringing it back.
"It's a very, very expensive program and quite an expensive process," said school board chair Larry Hayes. "We have to make sure there's committed interest there before we make any steps."
The IB program is an internationally recognized series of advanced courses designed to encourage cross-cultural understanding. The most well-known course is the diploma program, which helps students prepare for university.
The district used to offer the IB program, but in 2003, trustees voted to phase it out in an effort to save money. At the time, parents raised concerns that the district would lose some of its top students. Hayes said there wasn't enough interest to keep the program going then.
"It's certainly a prestige thing, but it comes with a hefty price tag," Hayes said. "We know there are a certain number of students leaving to take IB programs in other districts."
Hayes said the community and Burnaby schools have changed over the past 10 years since the district stopped providing the IB program.
"It just makes sense to get a better read on where the community is with it," he said. "This issue will be discussed at our upcoming board planning session, so no details have been determined yet."
