It's official Pinewood and Laurentian Public Schools will close

The gallery at the Near North District School Board on Airport Road was at capacity Tuesday night as anxiety ridden parents, students and staff waited to hear trustees make their intentions know surrounding the contentious ARC recommendations.

Clearly the mood of the room, which was filled with primarily with staff from Chippewa, lifted when the first motion was defeated. This was the ARC recommendation that would see Chippewa Secondary School close and the students relocated to Widdifield and West Ferris at the end of the current school year.

Trustee Al Bottomly spoke in favour of the motion telling fellow trustees that declining enrolment is a real issue and will keep rolling through the board up to the high schools and eventually one of the three schools will close.

“I think it is time,” he said of closing the high school.

“Look at 6 to 7 years from now eventually one of the schools will have to close ... the time is now.”

The motion was lost 7 in favour and 1 against.

Following that motion the board passed the second motion unanimously that the board relocate Grade 7 and 8 Centennial Public School students to Chippewa Secondary School for September 2009.

In response to that the board then passed motion #3 that will see the JK to 6 students from Centennial PS disbursed to King George PS and Dr. MacDougall PS.

And that made way for motion #4 that will see the board relocate the French Immersion students from Pinewood PS and Laurentian PS to Centennial PS for September 2009 and these two schools close.

“Technically speaking Pinewood and Laurentian tonight, with the motions that are made, are the two schools that are closing at the end of ’09,” says Board Chair Kathy Hewitt.

“However, we are going to look at Pinewood to replace King George, so that would mean King George would be the vacant one, so it is two schools we have closed, but it may not be the original one (Pinewood) that stays closed.”

And that also made way for motion #5 that will have the board review King George PS with a possible relocation from King George to Pinewood no later than September 2010.

Hewitt says it is likely they will sell the closed schools once a decision is made on whether or not Pinewood will replace King George.