A group of students came to the microphone at the end of the meeting, but moderator Brian Pepper wouldn’t allow them to speak. They were the only students who asked to speak all evening. Pepper, a retired superintendent in Prince George, a district that has closed 22 schools, was flown down to moderate the event. He ran a tight ship, cutting off speakers at three minutes, and sticking to rules, which annoyed some people in the audience who thought speakers weren’t given a chance to have their say. (Richard McGuire photo)
Parents of school children in Osoyoos appealed to emotion – as well as finances – when trying to convince trustees with School District 53 to keep both schools in Osoyoos open now and in the future at a second community forum Tuesday night.
Well-known Osoyoos dentist Jason Bartsch received one of the loudest ovations of the night in front of the roughly 650 in attendance when he said Osoyoos might open its own independent school if the trustees close Osoyoos Secondary School.
“Don’t think for a second there isn’t an appetite for an independent secondary school in this district,” said Bartsch, who was the last of 20 speakers during the emotion-packed community forum. “Founding a first-class independent school in Osoyoos is a very real solution.
“We have the people and the resources to assemble a viable alternative to public education, open to everyone, with a first class state of academy offerings such as golf, hockey, culinary arts and agriculture. Everything that makes this area unique and by closing our schools … you force this community to consider all options.”
Bartsch strongly recommended the board accept his proposal to appoint a district-wide stakeholder group with a “clear mandate of keeping our rural schools intact and to find a local solution.”
Bartsch also commented, as did many other speakers, that the current board of trustees would leave a lasting negative legacy if they chose to close either Osoyoos Secondary School or Osoyoos Elementary School.
Bartsch said there are many viable options available that would reduce costs and allow trustees to meet budget targets without closing any school.
“Closing one of our schools cripples our community’s ability to grow,” he said. “We are the only community in the district that is holding a neutral enrolment and the only community with a projected growth in enrolment by 2017.
“Our community is your main chance at increasing enrolment over the next few years and by closing our schools, you are committing your district to failure and initiating a very destructive cascade of events.
“The illusion that closing one of these school will solve future problems is grossly misrepresented. Quite the contrary as it will force families out of the district, further reducing district-wide revenue, ultimately resulting in the district’s failure.”
Brenda Dorosz, chair of the Save Our Schools committee in Osoyoos, said a petition being circulated has almost 4,000 signatures asking both schools in Osoyoos remain open.
“We, in Osoyoos, are currently the only community of 5,000 facing potential school closure,” said an emotional Dorosz. “This is very wrong.”
Close to 40 per cent of respondents to a survey she put out said they would either leave Osoyoos or seek educational opportunities for their children outside the district, said Dorosz.
This would result in further reduced funding of close to $3 million if it took place, she said.
The trustees must look at all options, including a four-day week and more blended courses, before closing any school, she said.
“Do everything in your power to keep Osoyoos schools open,” said Dorosz to the trustees. “If you fail to do this, then this community will do everything I our power to keep our kids educated right here at home. Is School District 53 ready to deal with those consequences?
“We ask the trustees to unite with us and save our schools.”
Former school trustees and good friends Virginia Cook and Sharon Gesce said combining the two elementary schools in Oliver and keeping both schools in Osoyoos open makes much more sense and should be adapted by the trustees.
“Bringing students from Osoyoos to Oliver would take us back 50 to 60 years,” said Gesce. “Closing either school in Osoyoos would be absolutely ludicrous.”
Osoyoos chiropractor Dr. Martha Collins said she deals with local residents everyday and suggestions there has been a drop in school-aged children living here is not accurate.
She’s convinced the 2016 federal census will show a huge increase in the number of young children living in Osoyoos and these children will fill both schools of years to come.
“We’re in the midst of a tremendous baby boom in this town,” she said. “You have been sold a bill of goods by the provincial government … that is based on faulty data.”
Chad Jensen, a longtime Osoyoos construction contractor, said cutting unnecessary programs and a few senior administrative positions, is much more tolerable than closing a school and upsetting hundreds of families.
“Educating our kids in Osoyoos should be the priority,” he said. “Is School District 53 ready to deal with the huge consequences of closing one of our schools?”
Hester Brunner, a member of Parents Advisory Council at Osoyoos Elementary School, said it’s misleading to blame the district’s declining enrolment as an Osoyoos problem as the elementary school has seen a significant increase in students the past couple of years.
“Declining enrolment may be a district problem, but it’s not a problem in Osoyoos,” said Brunner, who was given a standing ovation following her presentation.
Closing either school in Osoyoos would result in many families leaving this community and result in a further significant reduction in funding from the Ministry of Education, said Brunner.
“We don’t want a short-term solution that will cause a long-term problem,” she said.
Current town councillor Carol Youngberg told the trustees she has been working in real estate in Osoyoos and Oliver for more than 35 years and she has received numerous calls from potential clients considering purchasing homes in this area who have deep concerns about school closures.
“I’m getting calls every day about schools closing … and they are withdrawing interest in our community because of it,” she said.
Vera Appleby said she “felt bad for the trustees” because they have been forced to make very difficult decisions due to a significant reduction in education funding for many years.
She urged regular citizens to stand up to the provincial government and demand more funding for education in this district and across the province.
“Sooner or later, the people of this province are going to have to stand up and fight and show our government what this (keeping schools open) means to you,” she said.
Lesley Hanson, a mother of four from Osoyoos, said closing either school “would have a catastrophic effect on this community … I don’t understand why closing a school in Osoyoos is the solution” to the district’s financial crisis.
“Our schools in Osoyoos are succeeding … this is a district problem, not an Osoyoos problem. I beg, I plead and I urge you to reconsider and keep our schools open. Osoyoos will never recover from this disaster.”
Martin Sadd of Osoyoos said he believes all energy must be put into decisions that keep all schools open, rather than closing any school in the district.
“I suggest you put all your energy into keeping schools open,” he said. “If you put the same amount of time and energy into keeping schools open, they would remain open forever.”
Angela Paolera, a mother of three school-aged children from Osoyoos, also used emotion to urge the trustees to reconsider any school closure.
“School closures should be the very last option … closing one seems like an easy choice,” she said. “Think about what your legacy will be … you will be members of the board that closed a school in our town.”
Danielle Higginson, another Osoyoos mother of school aged children, said closing either school in Osoyoos would “save a few dollars over a short period of time,” but would leave a lasting negative impact on this town for decades to come.
There are numerous options available to make the financial cuts necessary without closing any school, including having only one elementary school in Oliver, she said.
“It’s unrealistic to have Osoyoos students solve Oliver problems,” she said.
The trustees will make their final decision on any possible school closures at a meeting scheduled for April 6.
The board administration must submit a balanced budget to the provincial government by June 30.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
Madison Pacheco, 4, draws with chalk on the pavement in front of the Sonora Community Centre as Osoyoos residents proclaimed their love for the town’s schools. Her mother, Nicole Pacheco, helped with some of the big words. Hundreds of people turned out a couple hours later for the second of two mandatory public “consultation meetings” School District 53 must hold before it can vote to close one of the town’s two schools. (Richard McGuire photo)
Moderator Brian Pepper was evasive when members of the audience asked him where he was from. It later came out that he was flown down from Prince George, where he recently retired as superintendent in a school district that has closed 22 schools in the last 15 years, many while he was superintendent. He kept tight control over the meeting, keeping speakers to the three-minute maximum and ending the meeting on time. (Richard McGuire photo)
Marieze Tarr, school board chair, assured people Tuesday night that the board has not yet made a decision to close an Osoyoos school, even though many people think otherwise. (Richard McGuire photo)
Bev Young, superintendent, summarized the feedback received from the community, but did not respond to the points made. (Richard McGuire photo)
Brenda Dorosz, chair of Save Our Schools, warned that if Osoyoos Secondary School closes, many families will look at education options outside the district, depriving the school district of provincial per-student grants. She was cut off midway through her presentation by moderator Brian Pepper, who strictly enforced a three-minute time limit, but later Chad Jensen offered her some of his time. (Richard McGuire photo)
Sharon Gesce, a former school trustee, said it made more sense to combine the elementary schools in Oliver and keep both schools in Osoyoos. She also spoke on behalf of her friend, Virginia Cook, another former trustee. (Richard McGuire photo)
Martha Collins argued that there has recently been a baby boom and this should result in future enrolment increases. She suggested that waiting until the results of the 2016 census would confirm this trend. (Richard McGuire photo)
Robin Stille, a former teacher, argued that $300,000 of the school district’s deficit is in fact a depreciation of assets — not a cash deficit. She believes the school district chose to operate at a deficit in order to justify closing a school. (Richard McGuire photo)
Chad Jensen gave up some of his speaking time to allow Brenda Dorosz, chair of Save Our Schools, to finish her presentation that was cut short by moderator Brian Pepper. He argued that cutting administrative positions would be preferable to closing a school. (Richard McGuire photo)
Jacob de Raadt argued that Highway 97 between Osoyoos and Oliver is dangerous for students to be travelling back and forth. He kept on talking after his time was up until people shouted at him to stop. (Richard McGuire photo)
Hester Brunner received a standing ovation for her argument that declining enrolment is a district problem and not an Osoyoos problem. (Richard McGuire photo)
Sy Murselli tried to switch the discussion to municipal governance, but he was called into line and asked to address the topic at hand by moderator Brian Pepper. (Richard McGuire photo)
Councillor Carol Youngberg, who works in real estate, says a number of potential homebuyers are already pulling out just on the news that Osoyoos Secondary School might close. (Richard McGuire photo)
Vera Appleby urged citizens to stand up to the provincial government and demand more funding for education locally and across the province. (Richard McGuire photo)
All seven trustees attended Tuesday’s consultation this time. From left are Marieze Tarr (chair), Sam Hancheroff, Myrna Coates, Debbie Marten, Rachel Allenbrand, Rob Zandee and June Harrington. Hancheroff was absent at the February meeting. Attendees took note of the trustees’ body language for clues on who was listening and who wasn’t. (Richard McGuire photo)
Kuldeep Rai posed the question: if there are no other options than closing a school in the school district’s view, why are they asking to hear from the public? Rai said she was speaking for many in the Indo-Canadian community. (Richard McGuire photo)
Jason Bartsch was not on the speakers’ list and was only allowed to speak at the end when a boy selected by the moderator gave up his spot for him. He argued that Osoyoos is prepared to go ahead with an independent school if School District 53 closes one of the public schools. (Richard McGuire photo)
