Front of Maxwell campus.

Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, 5 July 2008 (CBNS) — Maxwell International School’s emphasis on holistic education and the transformative power of the arts have been a presence in Cowichan Valley for 20 years. With the school’s closing at the end of June, many in the Valley expressed praise for its long record of achievement and contribution to the area.

A local newspaper, the Cowichan Pictorial, wrote in a 29 June article, “Cowichan Valley as a whole, is really going to miss it.”

SHAWNIGAN LAKE - The Maxwell International Bahai School in Shawnigan Lake plans to close its doors because of declining enrollment. The school, which has been running for 20 years, has seen its number drop from a high of about 230 students to about 125.