The public still has a chance to reverse the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board's plans to close 11 elementary schools in the area, says its chair.
There are four delegation nights coming in April and May, and trustees promise to hear people out, said Jessica Brennan, chair of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. Schools currently slated for closure could be saved and schools currently safe could be closed. Both have happened in the last two years based on public feedback.
"If you look at the staff report and say 'my school is safe,' please, there is still a process," she said. "There are still discussions to be done and there's still stuff to be moved around."
"We really want to hear the very best thinking out there."
Brennan's comments came after a special board meeting Monday where staff recommended closing 10 elementary schools.
The schools are in west Flamborough, central Mountain and east Hamilton. An eleventh, Bell Stone in west Glanbrook, is also slated for closure. The plans come amid calls from Hamilton city councillors and local MPP Monique Taylor for a moratorium on school closures.
Some parents are skeptical of the consultation process
The board struck accommodation review committees (ARCs) for each of the areas last year. The ARCs presented their recommendations in February. When staff presented their reports Monday, it triggered a 60-day window of public consultation.
The board will make a final decision on Flamborough, east Hamilton and Mountain on June 16.
Sarah Poljanski will likely be among the presenters. She was among the roughly 20 parents in the audience Monday night. She has a son at Linden Park and a daughter at Cardinal Heights. Staff recommended both of those schools close.
Poljanski attended all the ARC meetings too. She's skeptical her thoughts will sway anything.
"During all the meetings, I have spoken and it really hasn't done much," she said.
"A lot of people think that the decisions were already made prior to these (meetings) taking place."
Brennan insists that's not true and that delegations can sway the board. A recent example is the Mountain high school closure vote of May 2012. Staff recommended trustees vote to close Hill Park, Sherwood and Mountain. At the eleventh hour, Sherwood was saved based on a suggestion from the head of its science department.
"I will be reading (the reports) and pointing out questions that I will need to be asking," she said. "I have no idea what I'm going to support."
What happens next:
West Glanbrook
- April 7: delegation night
- May 12: standing committee makes a decision
- May 26: board ratifies decision
West Flamborough
- April 29: delegation night
- May 26: standing committee makes a decision
East Hamilton
- May 5: delegation night
- June 2: standing committee makes a decision
- June 16: board ratifies decision
Central Mountain
- May 6: delegation night
- June 9: standing committee makes a decision
- June 16: board ratifies decision
List of recommendations
West Glanbrook
- Close Bell Stone school and move its students to Mount Hope elementary school.
West Flamborough
- Close Dr. John Seaton, Millgrove and Greensville schools in June 2016.
- Build a new 350-student school at the Beverly Community Centre or on the existing Beverly Central school site (pending funding from the province), or expand the existing Beverly Central facility.
- Build a new 525-student facility on the site of the current Spencer Valley school (pending funding from the province), or expand the existing building.
View Staff recommendations on West Flamborough schools in a larger map
East Hamilton
- Close Parkdale, Roxborough Park and Woodward schools in June 2015.
- Close Rosedale school in June 2016.
- Build a new 550-student school on the site of the existing Viscount Montgomery school (pending funding from the province).
- In absence of new provincial money, build an addition onto Viscount Montgomery school and renovate Hillcrest and W.H. Ballard schools to accommodate more students.
View Staff recommendations on East Hamilton schools in a larger map
Central Mountain
- Close Eastmount Park, Linden Park and Cardinal Heights schools in June 2015
- Build additions at Queensdale, Franklin Road, Pauline Johnson and Ridgemount schools to accommodate more students
- Renovate George L. Armstrong school to create new full-day kindergarten class
View Staff recommendations on Central Mountain schools in a larger map
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