As reported in The Citizen for February 18, 2010.
A delegation of Huron County (Ontario) councillors addressed the Avon Maitland District School Board. Their concern is with the Board's approach to dealing with declining enrolments in the public schools throughout the county.
The Warden of the County, Bert Dykstra, gave a balanced presentation. He acknowledged that the board has a difficult task being faced with numerous fiscal, operational, and demographic issues. He provided some suggestions for making the board's decisions more palatable for the people of Huron County.
In a number of locations through the county, the board is thinking of closing schools located within towns and villages and in one case has already decided to close such a school. Warden Dykstra stated that he represents "all the students, parents, and all the schools across the county"
He emphasized the value of schools to their communities saying "our communities are built on the foundation of our schools" as well as other insitutions. "It's one of the components of a healthy community."
Dykstra emphasized that schools located in urban communitities should not be closed.
[End of borrowing from The Citizen.]
These ideas are not new; they have been expressed one way or another by many community groups and representatives to this same board. Let's hope that the county delegation has greater effect. So far there has been no sign that these very pertinent concepts have had any effect on the AMDSB.
It is to be hoped that this argument coming from the highest political level of the county will have a greater effect on this board, but given their past demonstration of intransigence, and stubborn deafness, we cannot be completely hopeful.
If the process of implementing these destructive plans could be somehow delayed for a few months, the elections in October may produce a slate of school trustees that have better hearing, better ideas, and may actually prove to be trustees to be trusted by the voters.
Brock Vodden
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