Comment 73584

By Simon (registered) - website | Posted February 01, 2012 at 10:44:23 in reply to Comment 73582

She seems to be the only board member that actually understands what the stakes are - as far as the board's headquarters and school planning - but more importantly how the board operates.

At a fundamental level - you have to seriously question the qualifications of trustees to make decisions that directly effect the big picture community planning of the entire City.

The province created the green belt and places to grow legislation to control suburban expansion because they saw that municipalities were unable/unwilling to do it on their own.

The same big picture needs to be taken with the board of education - ie decisions that effect the big picture - entire communities - should be taken out of the boards hands - because frankly - they don't seem competent enough to deal with them.

The first thing a family does when looking to buy a home - look to see where the nearest school is. Closing an existing school isn't just about enrollment - it kills the entire community. But there is enrollment available - it is just confined to the outer fringe of the suburbs - where families with school age kids buy new houses - with good neighbourhood schools. How hard would it be to require school boards to fill their existing schools before a new one is even considered? (by busing in kids from the fringes instead of the reverse).

Take a look at http://ap2.hwdsb.on.ca/map.html

See for yourself how many urban schools the board has closed and sold. Those schools - and attached green spaces are never coming back.

People complain about kids being driven to school! You try and find anywhere in the City that you can reasonably walk to an elementary school, a middle school and a highschool. Seriously - please let me know if you can find one.

This is the mentality that is driving the school board to abandon the core - why would we expect anything different. At the very lowest - they are consistent.

Comment edited by Simon on 2012-02-01 10:47:34

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