our schools

To the Board of School Trustees,

It's early Tuesday morning when I write this email, but you probably know that the word has been out since Monday. We have heard that the recommendation will be to close 7 of the eight schools, leaving Moody Elementary open. We have heard further that College Park School will be closed, but will be used for the coming school year as a satellite to Seaview, while seismic upgrades take place there.

While we're all talking about it like it's already been decided, there's still the hope that you may not vote in favour of the recommendations.

While I have not led the charge this year in our neighbourhood, I have followed this round of school consolidation discussions closely. It's clear that the needs of the children for local schools with safe walks hasn't changed. In several of the areas, population projections have been plausibly challenge. Valid options have been suggested for increasing enrollment and mixing uses at schools so that they may be kept open. The benefit of small, neighbourhood schools has been reinforced, by both scientific research and personal experience.

Surely, from all of this process, you will conclude more than just "We gave everyone a chance to say their piece before we closed their schools." Surely a plausible case has been made to keep some of these schools open, at least a few more years to see if the alternative population projections presented and creative solutions proposed will work.

Tonight will be one of the hardest nights of your careers as School Trustees. I appreciate your work, and hope that you will show us all that our schools are worth saving, and that the process has been one of collaboration, done in the best interest of our children and families.

Respectfully,

.....

question: did you ever hope against hope?

mompoet - joining in the final effort to convince otherwise