Parents have first say on school closures

Thames Valley District School Board representatives faced a litany of questions about the effects of proposed area school closures and changes during a Public Accommodation Review (PAR) meeting held Monday night at East Elgin Secondary School.

Malahide Mayor Dave Mennill, the only non-school representative to speak at the meeting, drawing from his experience as an elected official, cautioned school board members to think carefully before making sweeping changes to schools, families and small communities.

Some school representatives, mostly parents, spoke emotionally about what they believed would be negative effects on their family’s lives and the future of their community while others focused on the factual details of the 366-page staff report.

The PAR calls for the closure of Springfield, South Dorchester, New Sarum and Westminster Central public schools, with a new larger school to be built in Belmont and another new school to be built in southeast St. Thomas.

The review also lists several changes at other schools in the region including making Sparta PS a French immersion school and moving current English language pupils there to Port Stanley PS, moving Grade 4 from McGregor PS to Davenport PS in Aylmer and redistributing some other pupils in the area.