I don’t have words to express how concerned I am about the potential closure of this school. Nor do I have words to express my frustration with the school board.
Over the last 15 years I have watched the community of Petite and surrounding area grow as young families move here. Two years ago I decided to buy a house here, and the school was a major factor in that decision. My husband went there, and my daughter will start in 2020. Where else does a horse deliver seaweed to fertilize the community garden tended by children along the banks of a river? I already use the school twice a week for a play group and an exercise class. There is an obvious baby boom happening here, and projected numbers for the school are increasing. It is a community school in the truest sense of the word, and a cornerstone of this vibrant community.
I wonder who is being served by the School Board’s refusal to revisit (or rescind) their motion to close. The process has been fraught with conflict of interest. The community wants the school to stay open. The Government wants the school to stay open – they have continually committed $6 million for a renovation. The children will benefit from the small school environment.
So Elliot Payzant’s comment that the SSRSB Administration will save money is what this is really about. The only winner is the bottom line. A few million saved over a number of years, on the backs of our children and to the detriment of the whole community. A legal opinion is just that – an opinion. This school board could gain so much goodwill from the community if they would revisit their motion to close. Unfortunately it seems that the board being “right” is more important than the job they were elected to do – serve the best interests of their constituents. True leadership is the ability to admit when a mistake has been made, and to take steps to right that mistake.
I am disgusted with how this is playing out.
Leitha H.