If you want to save rural schools, please start with ours.

Mr. Maguire,

Thank you very much for your detailed response, you are actually the first board member to respond to one of my emails. I feel that open and honest dialogue is how we can move this issue forward.

Before I address your points of rational individually, I would first like paint for you the feelings of the process that is felt by the parents and community members affected by this impending decision. I want to do this because I want to create the understanding for you, if not already fully aware.

To the community members of Petite, the actions of the board seem to be of wrong-headed process. They feel that the municipal government of Lunenburg County, all of the other parents of affected children, all of the community members of Petite, Broad Cove, Cherry Hill, Voglers Cove, Pleasantville, Centre, etc, our MLA Mark Furey, the Education Minister, even our MP in Ottawa, all want the school to stay open. The only people that want the school closed are the 8 elected members of the school board and board staff. They feel frustrated that all of these people want something honest and simple, to raise their children locally, however a small number of individuals representing a board, that they don’t fully understand, is planning on closing down their community hub and busing away their young children. Also they feel that the board has the power to change their decision, but are hiding behind false reasons to protect themselves from setting a precedent or following a secret plan for ultimate regional consolidation, eating up every small rural school possible.

That may or may not be your thoughts of the situation, as your previous email stated, but to those you represent, whose children you affect, feel that way over this issue.

To start, you mentioned the decision was made 4 years ago and you used this information from that process heavily. As I’m sure you’re aware, the province halted the school review process calling it flawed and set in motion a new process. The process used to review our school was the flawed one stopped by the province, however the board voted two weeks before that provincial decision, locking in our school for closure.

With that consideration, could it not be viewed by the public in this region that their school is unfairly on the closure list? How does this encourage confidence in the school board? I don’t believe it does.

Also the data on school enrollment is greatly outdated, and higher enrollment numbers are forecasted for Petite for the foreseeable future. However, not increased enrollment for Pentz.

The busing numbers that you have been provided seem greatly underestimated. I could understand an average bus time for Pentz catchment area to be in the 30min bracket, however, 50 minutes and greater for the majority of the much larger Petite catchment area. Does the board staff provide these numbers? Or have they been independently provided? Much skepticism is felt amongst a public that believes the board has its own motives.

As for the A&A justification, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Let me get this straight, the board never requested the money, so they don’t believe it’s there. Is that accurate? The Minister of Education, wrote the board, as well spoke on the CBC that monies could be available if requested. Why didn’t the board request that? There is still time to request that money. You mentioned you wanted to find a solution for both schools, that being your reasoning. The people of Petite and Pentz are reasonable people. We believe that a closure of one of the two is reasonable and that students from one attend the renovated one, bringing the enrollment and attendance to a high and acceptable level. With Petite’s larger catchment area, unique setting being off a busy road, many feel Petite would be most suitable for this A&A.

It cannot be denied that the Stantec report stated that an A&A would be the best value for money and education requirements. What is the purpose of funding an expensive study to ignore its findings?

I have no doubt that Hebbville Academy is a fine school with lots of great amenities. The recent student assessments showed that Petite students did exceedingly well in comparison to those throughout the province. My two stepchildren did not go without, educationally speaking, because they attended a rural school. It’s also just not about extra programming or newer computers, it’s much more than that. At a small local school, where supportive community members and their neighbors surround them, they are taught lessons of community and building a strong social fabric. They understand the importance of playing and building forts in the woods, or visiting the sheep right next door, or taking a walk to the river to learn about a healthy ecology. They get their hands in the soil in the school garden and they help prepare healthy food from that garden. They don’t become lost in the crowd or bullied on a crowded playground without it being properly addressed. They learn to build friendships right in their community and they help rise up the younger children too. These lessons will stay with them for a lifetime.

I went to a small rural school in Antigonish Country, now closed. I have very similar experiences. I’m not sure if you went to a small school, if so, I hope you think back to those times.

I applaud your proposed motion for saving whatever rural schools are not already closed by the time it’s addressed.  I feel that deep down you want to keep future rural schools open but that Petite Riviere Elementary is not one to start with.  The current provincial policies may favor regionalization however in this case, The current Minister of Education is saying to you, “all you have to do is ask, and we will allocate the money to keep one of these schools open”.

My community and I are pleading with you, one board member at a time, starting with you to make this decision right. You have the power to will it, to win over your other board members to right this wrong. If you want to save rural schools, please start with ours.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Stephen Besaw