Last Eastern School District public meeting in Morell

NANCY WILLIS The Charlottetown Guardian, March 25, 2009

Editor – this is probably one of Nancy Willis’ last articles for the Charlottetown Guardian since they decided to close the Souris Office and lay Nancy off. It’s a sad week for Kings County. I’ve known Nancy since 1976 and hope she finds something equally rewarding soon.

MORELL — Not one of the 200 people who turned out at the Eastern School District’s meeting here Wednesday night supported the closure of the area’s small schools, instead they soundly bashed the report recommending the closures, its author, superintendent Sandy MacDonald, and the board members themselves.

The parents represented schools in St. Peters, St. Theresa, Tracadie Cross, Grand Tracadie and Parkdale, all of which are among the 11 slated for closure. They accused the board of incompetence and lacking in respect for community. They said the report, which recommends the closures take place by this fall, is incomplete and was rushed through in order have everything in place before the next election.

They also said there has been absolutely no consultation with parents and community members.

“The trustees have already made up their minds, and these consultation meetings are a sham,” said Irene Gaudet of Tracadie Cross.

She said the only consultation concerning her school was a discussion with the principal, who lives outside the area and has no children attending school there. Gaudet said parents at Tracadie Cross have discussed the possibility of court action.

Martie Murphy cited the Parents for Learning group representing the Souris family of schools which received $15,000 for a study on what to do about declining enrolment in their area.

Murphy called on the district to put an end to this so-called consultation process and give all the local schools $15,000 to go into the community and do their own studies, after which they could then go forward with a collaborative process.

The parents chided provincial Education Minister Gerard Greenan for refusing to attend any of the meetings, and for sitting at home watching them on television in the protection of his own living room.

Mike Casey of St. Peters called for funding formulas that would maintain small schools, and Ron MacInnis of St. Peters compared the effect of the removal of St. Peters Consolidated from the community to the eradication of the automobile plant in Oshawa.

They also questioned MacDonald’s rationale that combining the small schools (that currently have the best student-teacher ratios in Atlantic Canada), could possibly provide better education by increasing the number of students.