OLIVER–It was in front of a booing crowd that the board of School District 53 voted 4-3 in favour of closing Osoyoos Secondary School.
The vote went the same way on Wednesday night as the one held on April 6 at a special board meeting, where first and second readings of the bylaw were also passed. Third reading was delayed until April 27.
In a letter dated April 19, the Town of Osoyoos offered the school district $325,000 per year for three years to help off-set the cost of keeping the school open.
The town council asked for a one-year delay in taking the final vote, so the community could consider more creative and cost saving ideas.
The mayor of Osoyoos has vowed to begin legal proceedings and hopes to seek an injunction to stop the closure of the school.
“Legal proceedings are in draft form now,” said Mayor Sue McKortoff at the public meeting. “We are prepared to stop or start this process tonight.”
A planned protest for those opposed to the school closure to block off the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 3 on Thursday was abandoned, after legal consultation.
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