Sending out an SOS

Concerned parents, current and former students of Marshall Park Public School gathered in the school’s gymnasium Tuesday night for an information session hosted by the School Advisory Council (SAC) as they mount their battle to save the school.

Marshall Park is just one of the schools on a long list submitted by the Accommodation Review Committee for the Near North District School Board to consider closing in light of the board’s current financial crisis. In its recommendations the ARC, comprised of members from the general public to look at alternatives and make recommendations, suggests that Marshall Park or Tweedsmuir Public School (or both) close and that the students be bussed to Sunset and/or the school that survives, a notion that doesn’t sit well with the parents in the area.

The rationale behind the proposal is based on operating capacity, at this time all three Ferris area schools are operating well below capacity and future projections indicate that the decline will continue well into the future at both Marshall Park and Sunset Park.
However, SAC and parents have concerns that the suggested proposal their children will lose out and suffer in the end.

Staff, SACs, supporters and concerned citizens from both Marshall Park and Tweedsmuir are invited to state their cases to the ARC before any final recommendations are made November 21st in the Marshall Park gymnasium at 6:30pm.

Marshall Park SAC President Dave Pipke told the group anything can happen and urged the parents to become involved and have their voice heard in order to ensure what is being proposed is best for the children and not for the board.