Boundary 2020
May 15, 2008
THE UPPER CANADA SCHOOL BOARD IS MOVING AHEAD WITH SWEEPING CLASSROOM CHANGES -- IN RESPONSE TO DECLINING ENROLMENT. TRUSTEES VOTED 8 TO 3 LAST NIGHT TO ENDORSE A SCHOOL OVERHAUL PLAN, KNOWN AS "BOUNDARY 20-20." IT SETS OUT A MULTI-YEAR TIMETABLE TO CLOSE 11 UNDER-USED SCHOOLS... AND TO TRANSFER GRADE 7 AND 8 STUDENTS INTO UNDER-USED HIGH SCHOOLS. MANY PARENTS FOUGHT THE PENDING CLOSURE OF THEIR SMALL RURAL SCHOOLS.... AND THE PLACEMENT OF YOUNG STUDENTS INTO A HIGH SCHOOL SETTING. BUT TRUSTEES SAY THE SCHOOL CLOSURES AND STUDENT TRANSFERS ARE THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE THEY CAN LIVE WITHIN THE EDUCATION MINISTRY'S FUNDING FORMULA. - GREG PIETERSMA: "IT'S A TOUGH DECISION, MANY TRUSTEES ARE HAVING TO CLOSE SCHOOLS THAT THEY ARE VERY PROUD OF. BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY WERE VERY PREPARED IN THE END TO MAKE A DECISION THAT WOULD BENEFIT ALL KIDS.')
THE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS' FEDERATION HAD ANGRY WORDS OVER THE BOARD'S DECISION -- CALLING IT A "CRUEL AND CALLOUS" REJECTION OF PARENTAL CONCERNS. THE UNION SAYS SCHOOLS ARE BEING TREATED LIKE BLOCKS ON A MONOPOLY BOARD, AND TRANSFERRING STUDENTS TO A MORE COST-EFFECTIVE LOCATION WILL MEAN LONGER RIDES ON BUSES.
