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'Super school' decision could spill into 2018

'There are too many questions unanswered to make a valid and reasonable decision' - NNDSB chairman David Thompson
David Thompson 06-12-2017
David Thompson chairs a NNDSB special trustees meeting at West Ferris Intermediate and Secondary School, Monday. Photo by Stu Campaigne.

"It is my understanding that we cannot meet during the summer. We were operating under the October 31 deadline, and now the Ministry of Education has just yesterday changed the rules, and our deadline is now September 8," said Chair of the Board of Trustees David Thompson on Wednesday.

Thompson admitted that he was frustrated with the development. "If we can't make a decision in June because we don't have all the information, and we can't meet during the summer, then we can't meet for six days in September and put a business plan together for the ministry. We need our questions answered."

A Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting will still be held June 27, but no decisions will be made about the three-to-two or three-to-one public high school options. It is expected that the proposed elementary school build at the current W.J. Fricker site will be passed that evening. The amalgamation of W.J. Fricker with E.W. Norman and E.T. Carmichael to form a new school, to be renamed and rebranded for JK-grade 6 has had little public dissent.

It has been quite the opposite public reaction regarding the secondary schools. "There are lots of questions that came out of the ARC recommendation, one is modernization," and what constitutes modernization, said, Thompson. 

Tuesday evening's meeting was the first chance the trustees had to meet as a whole to discuss the ARC recommendation that two grades 7-12 schools be rebuilt or refurbished, renamed, and rebranded. The ARC committee has recommended that one school in the south end (West Ferris site) and one in the north end (Widdifield site) be utilized.

NNDSB staffers originally backed a three-to-one option, but in their latest report, adopted many of the ARC's recommendations, with the caveats being that the two proposed schools be refurbished, not rebuilt and that the Chippewa site be included as a possibility for the north location in the two-school option.

The underlying issue with the recommendation is whether the funding is available to fulfill the two-school option. One presenter at the Monday special meeting called going from three schools to two schools, and inevitably one, "a lateral move." 

There has been a groundswell of support to keep a West Ferris-located school open, for varying reasons and motives besides educational, including the health of the community and economic impacts. A group has also rallied together in a bid to "Stop the Super School."

The next ministry deadline after September is in March 2018, which coincides with the lead-up to the provincial election in early June. "The rules are changing, so we just don't know," added Thompson.

Thompson was also clear that the decision would be made, but in what time frame he could not say. "We're being responsible and making a sound decision that is in the best interests of the community and our students."


Stu Campaigne

About the Author: Stu Campaigne

Stu Campaigne is a full-time news reporter for BayToday.ca, focusing on local politics and sharing our community's compelling human interest stories.
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