An outdoor school in Langley is being forced to close, just weeks before kids are set to head back to class.

For more than a decade, kids from around the Lower Mainland have attended the Langley Forest School (LFS), calling a section of Williams Park their classroom.

But with just a few weeks before kids head back to school, Fraser Health Authority told the outdoor school that its licence has expired because it hasn’t used its indoor facility for 12 consecutive months.

School president Carol LaJeunesse says they got their license from Fraser Health over 10 years ago under an address for a Fort Langley building the health authority now says isn’t good enough.

Without the licence, LaJeunesse says they’re unable to operate and have been forced to close.

“I don’t have an answer to why they’ve changed… I don’t have an answer to the timing,” she said.

“We’re a little bit frustrated and righteously angry.”

Cindy Reed is an outdoor educator and has worked for the Langley Forest School for five years. She is among the 10 staff that are being laid off.

“It’s sad, very sad; this is my passion,” she said. “I’ve been an outdoor educator for 11 years, and I won’t go back inside. It’s good for my mental health, and the children’s.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m sticking around with LFS because we’re going to keep going and find a way. We have to.”

On top of the job loss, 32 childcare spaces have now been lost, leaving families scrambling to find alternatives.

Most of the parents who spoke with CityNews say they don’t want another space.

Ashley Lindbo’s son has attended LFS for three years. She says the school has been life-changing for her son Beckett, who has autism.

“He gained so much more confidence, he was way more regulated, way more at ease, he made friendships,” she said. “It’s just a very inclusive program.”

We have reached out to Fraser Health, but it was not available for an interview.

In the meantime, the school says it is hoping to find a permanent solution to keep their kids out of the classroom.