SD42 to explore fixes for Ridge Meadows College instead of shutting it down
Ridge Meadows College still has some life left, but questions about its future remain.
On May 13, the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School Board voted not to start phasing out the program despite the recommendations from SD42 Superintendent Teresa Downs and the independent review commissioned last year.
“While the motion to phase out the program did not pass, the board directed staff to explore operational changes to improve the program’s viability,” the school board said.
Instead, the board opted to send staff on a mission to fix the long-running adult education program’s financial sustainability issues and report back at the start of 2027.
Ridge Meadows College, established in 1995, has provided flexible learning and post-secondary transition opportunities for adult learners in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows for decades.
But district staff warned the program’s current operating model is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain amid broader fiscal pressures facing the district.
According to the review presented to trustees, the college’s long-term viability is hampered by staffing pressures, space limitations at Riverside Centre, and continued reliance on district resources primarily intended for K-12 education.
The report said the college depends on centralized district staffing, facilities and administrative supports that are not directly charged to the program, while any future expansion would require significant additional investment.
“The current model is increasingly difficult to sustain within the district’s fiscal reality,” the report stated.
The memo argued that SD42 must increasingly focus its financial and operational capacity on its legislated K-12 mandate as the district deals with rising operational costs, inflationary pressures, structural funding challenges and projected enrolment declines.
Staff also pointed to changes in post-secondary education delivery, noting that many programs once dependent on local in-person instruction – including Early Childhood Education, health care and Education Assistant training – are now widely available online or through hybrid models offered by institutions across B.C.
A separate Ridge-Meadows Post-Secondary Feasibility Study released in May 2025 had similar findings. That report stated public post-secondary institutions are facing mounting operational and financial pressures, and that online learning, dual-credit programs and regional partnerships could offer more sustainable pathways for improving local education access.
District staff recommended the board approve a phased discontinuation plan that would stop future recruitment, allow current cohorts to finish their programs, and provide transition support for students and employees.
However, trustees ultimately stopped short of approving the closure recommendation.
Instead, while trustees acknowledged concerns about directing K-12 resources toward post-secondary programming, they voted to have staff explore operational changes.
The board’s summary noted that trustees expressed concern that post-secondary programming falls outside SD42’s core mandate and funding structure, while also emphasizing that adult learners would still be able to pursue graduation pathways through continuing education programming.
