Brenda Dorosz, chair of the Osoyoos Independent School committee, and David Adamson, vice chair, answer questions from members of the community about progress being made in the efforts to establish an independent high school in Osoyoos at a recent public meeting. (Richard McGuire photo)
As the calendar rapidly advances towards the start of school again in September, proponents of an independent high school in Osoyoos are experiencing some frustration.
“It seems like we’re just kind of waiting,” said Brenda Dorosz, chair of the Osoyoos Independent School (OIS) committee. “We’re doing absolutely everything everyone is asking us to do. We’re jumping through hoops. And then they tell us to wait.”
OIS is seeking town council’s approval to use the upper floor of the Sonora Community Centre for the school, but they’ve also asked School District 53 to provide them with the facilities of Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS), which is slated to close at the end of the month.
The town has also put in a request to lease OSS from SD 53, but that won’t happen in time for the coming school year.
“The school district has sent us an email that they will deal with the school disposition in the fall,” said Barry Romanko, Osoyoos chief administrative officer.
SD 53 is prepared to work with the town sooner to lease the community theatre located inside OSS, Romanko said, adding that he is still waiting for a draft lease.
OIS is also seeking start-up funding from the town for its first three years.
Late last month, council passed a motion saying that before they would make a decision on using town resources for an independent school, they required a memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining an agreement in principle between OIS and Good Shepherd Christian School.
The proposed independent high school would be operated under the umbrella of Good Shepherd, which is run by Grace Lutheran Church, enabling it to receive provincial funding and to share administration, but it would be operated in a separate location from the present Kindergarten to Grade 7 school.
Dorosz said the MOU has not yet been signed, but despite some requested changes, she believes it is close to being signed.
OIS got to work on the MOU within a day of being asked to do so by the town, Dorosz said.
Mayor Sue McKortoff admits the situation is “up in the air” and said she feels badly about this.
“I know the independent school is moving forward and they have a very gung ho committee of people that are really looking at everything,” said McKortoff. “But we have not met to make a decision.”
Council must look at what is best for everybody in town, the mayor said.
“We can’t just say we can provide the top floor of the Sonora Centre without looking at the ramifications of that,” said McKortoff.
The town has received comments from members of the public urging the town to provide a facility to the independent school, but it has also heard from others expressing concerns about providing the Sonora Centre for the school because it is well used by the community at large, she said.
“There’s the problem. There’s always various points of view and we certainly haven’t found a solution to this yet,” McKortoff said.
Despite being forced to wait, OIS hasn’t been sitting still. OIS has registered as a society, Dorosz said, that will allow it to offer receipts for donations. And it has stepped up fundraising.
Between sales of “Osoyoos Strong” T-shirts, money raised through Cactus Jalopies and sales of raffle tickets for a 2001 BMW, OIS has raised nearly $10,000 Dorosz said.
And tickets for the 2001 BMW 323 vehicle, valued at about $7,500, will still be on sale until July 1.
“It’s a nice start,” she said.
The school has also registered 85 students, including those at the junior level, which brings it closer to its target of 120.
Dorosz, said she’s also heard from some parents who plan to register, but are waiting until OIS secures a facility.
“We remain determined to carry out the long-term vision of a community school embracing athletics, academic and trades given to us by our community during our public consultations,” Dorosz said in a news release on the weekend.
“We are seeing a whole community effort coming together to support our school,” she added. “Businesses, organizations and individuals are stepping forward to support us financially and in kind and in their willingness to participate in school programs.”
Ingrid Jarrett, general manager and vice president of Watermark Beach Resort, recently discussed with OIS the possibility of work experience and joint courses in culinary arts, hospitality and tourism, Dorosz said.
A meeting will also be held later this month with an official from the Food, Wine and Tourism program at Okanagan College to discuss possible co-operation, she added.
McKortoff said she’s delighted that OIS is pursuing initiatives like this.
“I think those are the kind of specialty items that I think would do very well in a town like this,” she said.
Nonetheless, McKortoff said another concern of council beyond the use of the Sonora Community Centre is the financial request from OIS.
Originally OIS asked the town for the same $352,000 a year over three years that the town had offered SD 53 on condition that OSS be kept open.
When it was pointed out that the independent school would have a much smaller enrolment than the 230 students at OSS, OIS cut the financial request in half, based on total target enrolment of 120 students.
But McKortoff noted that OIS also wanted free use of the Sonora Centre without paying for utilities.
“So it’s a fair amount of money that they are asking the town to provide,” she said.
Meanwhile, the town is still waiting for the Supreme Court of British Columbia to hear the town’s petition seeking an injunction to prevent the closure of OSS.
A hearing has been tentatively scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Vancouver, but it depends on availability of a judge. The date has not been confirmed, Romanko said.
McKortoff said the town hasn’t given up on this legal avenue.
The dilemma, she said, is there wasn’t enough time given to find a solution, but time is still of the essence.
“You can’t give up,” said McKortoff. “We still have so many things in the fire that we’re just trying to juggle them all at this point. It’s certainly occupied all of our time. If there’s any possible way we can make the school (OSS) stay open or an independent school viable, then absolutely we will do whatever we can to make it happen.”
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
