Ontario community goes to Superior Court to save their school

TORONTO –  A group of students and parents from Niagara-on-the-Lake arrived at Osgoode Hall Superior Court on a school bus Friday morning as they continue their battle to keep their elementary school open.

“It’s a good school, in a small community and every community needs a school,” said William, a student at Parliament Oak Public School.

The school is slated to close at the end of June, due to low enrollment.  But the community is disputing the decision.  They claim the school board ignored data showing the area population is growing.

At the heart of the legal battle is whether the process the school board used was fair. The parents argue board staff and trustees had already made up their minds, before they heard from the public.

“It’s critically important, it’s our rights as citizens that these decisions aren’t predetermined and that our input, as the public, is considered and taken into account,” said Robin Ridesic, who leads the community group Citizens for Accountable and Responsible Education.

The District School Board of Niagara said because the issue is before the courts they would not do an interview.  They sent Global News a statement, which read in part, it was a “…process that was open, fair and transparent.”

If the community members win, it may be a hollow victory.  One option for the three judges would be to order the school board to do the review process over.  However, the Liberal government changed the rules for reviews on Thursday, decreasing the amount of public input required before a school closure.

“It’s obviously the wrong direction,” said NDP MPP Wayne Gates.

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He is concerned that 88 schools have been closed in Ontario since 2011.

“Parents want to have schools in their community stay open, and  if the only thing they can do is take it to court I think you’ll see more,” said Gates.

The Niagara board estimated the case will cost taxpayers over $100,000.  The parents say the money is worth it in order to save the sense of community a neighbourhood school provides.

“I think that it’s critical for us to kind of hold on to what Canada is supposed to be and what community is supposed to be,” said Lyndsay Gazzard, whose child goes to Parliament Oak.

The judges have reserved their decision until a later date.