Ontario's Minister of Education was touring schools in Eastern Ontario today that are potentially on the chopping block.
The Upper Canada District School Board is undergoing a massive review of student space.
That review, called “Building for the Future Pupil Accommodation” review, recommends 16 schools, including two high schools, close by the end of this school year.
Another 13 schools are slated to close beyond that date if funding comes through to renovate others.
It is a big deal when the Ontario Education Minister pays a visit to a small town school.
“I think it’s a good sign she came here,” says Grade 12 student Marshall Wilson.
A sign, perhaps, that all their work trying to save Glengarry District High school (DDHS) may have worked?
“Her power limited but I think it was good to have her here and know what rural Ontario is like,” adds Wilson, moments after he and fellow Grade 12 student Morgan MacPherson helped tour Education Minister Mitzie Hunter around GDHS, located in Alexandria.
Hunter had also visited schools in Cornwall, Long Sault and Williamstown.
“My priority is to listen,” Hunter said, “listen to students, education workers, to parents and to the community.This is all about ensuring we provide the best programming for students. I'm confident the (Upper Canada District School) board has the process underway to hear directly and receive input to make best decisions for our students.”
And those students and communities have had a lot to say. Protests have been popping up all over Eastern Ontario since the Upper Canada School Board announced its “accommodation review” that targets the potential close of 16 schools by the end of June another 13 after that.
“It's definitely a shock to us all,” says Grade 12 student Morgan MacPherson about the potential closure of her 53-year-old Glengarry District high school, “We have to keep positive and all that.”
After months of review, the school board now says the number of schools likely to close will be far fewer than 29 but still a major hit for rural Ontario.
“I can say it’s most likely going to be less than that,” says Jeff McMillan, the school board chair for Upper Canada District School Board, “but we had to take a look at what next 10 or 15 years would look like in terms of a learning experience in Upper Canada. So we took a long look, wide look and are getting a lot of feedback on the scenarios we've created.”
All school boards are going through this difficult exercise as enrolment numbers drop but it is particularly pronounced in the rural areas and the impact is fully felt there, too.
“It tears communities apart,” says the Conservative MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, “These schools are among the oldest in the province. The first thing the settlers did was build them and now we are losing them and moving our children into bigger facilities?”
As far as Marshall Wilson and Morgan MacPherson are concerned, bigger isn’t better.
“I couldn't imagine going to any other school,” says Wilson.
The final staff report on those school closures will come out February 15th. The board will vote on the report March 23d. It is not the only board this decision. Tonight, there's a public meeting at Woodrofffe High school to talk about the closure of seven west-end schools. The meeting runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
