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MARK-ALAN WHITTLE MY HOW TRUSTEES CHANGE THEIR TUNE Mountain News, January 23, 2004 After reading about the 'political' victory for Dundas public schools, I'm left wondering what special interest group, disguised as heartbroken and inconvenienced parents, will be next to be appeased by the spineless Trustees? This wrong-headed, politically motivated decision will be made on January 26 (if it hasn't already been made in-camera) at the expense of parents and students throughout the district who accepted the original consolidation plan in the belief that it would be to the benefit of the entire school system for years to come. Like the writer and his school community, we must all acknowledge the need for some sacrifices after years of delay, inaction and accommodation. Why do the Trustees think that Dundas is an exception to the reform that has been accepted by parents and students in other parts of our community? More telling is the Trustees one-sided interpretation of the McGuinty government's ill considered moratorium on school closures, which (we are told) requires wide consensus from the whole education community, not just the politically astute parents in Dundas. As Dundas Central is designated a heritage building, the cost of renovating this facility will be astronomical. The Board has been previously advised that replacement of this school's windows with more energy efficient ones might exceed $1 million dollars just to satisfy the standards of architectural conservationists who demand that the "historical look" of the original building be maintained. Let's not even mention the cost of removing lead paint from all the classrooms or squeezing 600 children into an acre and a half site. The Trustees themselves have previously declared their strong opposition to renovating schools for the purpose of grade reorganization and publicly advised the Supervisor of their stand in this regard on more than one occasion. My how they change their tune when it comes to justifying their own reversed recommendation in a blatant effort to capitulate to a vocal elite in Dundas. The accommodation plan approved by the Supervisor would see two new elementary schools in Dundas. The Trustees "improvement" on this scenario is one new school and the conversion of a school built in 1854 (have they already forgotten Chedoke?). Two brand new schools built at no cost to the Board from government grants provided for that purpose versus taking money from the Board's coffers to prop up an old school (New Pupil Place grants cannot be used for renovation purposes). Money that, as Mr. Reynolds points out, could be used for textbooks and other learning resources in hundreds of classrooms across the district. Are the trustees fooling us or are they fooling themselves? Do they not know that Yorkview school will inevitably close anyway because of declining enrollment? Do they know (but aren't telling) when they will be reviewing the secondary accommodation scenario in Dundas? This appeasement simply buys time for the parents of today's children in the Dundas schools but robs tomorrow's kids of superior schools and better resources for everyone across the system. Is this their idea of public accountability? Long range planning and accommodation is the course the Supervisor set for us all, a vision and doable plan of action that has made up for years of mismanagement by Trustees who put their political skins above what's best for all students in the system. They ignore or override their own school closure policy when they deem it necessary to bow to the pressure of those who oppose decisions that they themselves backed at one time. Until consensus is achieved with the rest of us in the school district, the original recommendation of both the Trustees and professional administrators regarding Dundas school accommodation, as approved by the government Supervisor, should stand on it's own merit. |