TORONTO – Class sizes and school board boundary changes due to the province’s implementation of all-day kindergarten has some north Toronto parents gearing up for a fight by launching a lawn sign campaign.
“Our kids would be separated from their friends,” said parent Frank Vecchiarelli.
Vecchiarelli is worried that “if” the boundaries change, young children will be forced onto buses to get to schools in other neighbourhoods.
Many parents say they bought real estate in this community so their children could attend John Wanless Junior Public School.
“Fear and concern,” said Vecchiarelli. “Those are the biggest things, nobody wants to see borders change.”
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Another concern is that some all-day kindergarten classes are swelling upwards of 35 students, more than the average of 26 touted by the province.
The Toronto District School Board superintendent for the area declined to comment saying it was too early in the process.
Full day kindergarten is expected to be fully implemented in Ontario by September 2014.
Since 2010, it’s gradually been rolled into schools but boards in urban centres and some argue it’s facing incredible challenges.
“There’s going to be some growing pains and some boards struggle to the final implementation,” said Ontario Public School Boards’ Association spokesperson Michael Barrett.
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Barret says some boards will have to come up with creative solutions.
“Whether they consolidate, change some boundaries, change some of the programming but they’re looking at all the options,” said Barrett.
Ontario’s education minister Liz Sandals says she understands parents’ concerns about boundary changes but adjustments takes time to phase in.
“If you’ve got a good community and some of you go here and some of you there then you’ll have two good communities instead of one,” said Sandals.
The answer is little comfort for parents who must wait for the school board’s final vote on the issue.
“I think the fact the community is so strong and people recognizing this community needs to act rather than just sit back is making a difference as well,” said Vecchiarelli
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