Mike Safek, principal of Osoyoos Secondary School. (Photo by Lyonel Doherty)
A planned student protest against Osoyoos school closures is not sitting well with Mike Safek, principal of Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS).
Safek recently wrote a letter to parents and guardians of OSS students saying he has learned that the Save Our Schools (SOS) committee is organizing a walkout and protest for Tuesday, March 29 at 11:15 a.m.
“While we respect the citizens’ and students’ right to have their voice(s) heard and to bring attention to the issues surrounding the current discussions, (neither) the school nor the district can support the students leaving class, particularly without parent permission to travel, nor can we guarantee their safety,” Safek wrote in the letter that is posted on the school’s website.
He said he will be discussing this with students when classes resume on March 29, adding he would appreciate any efforts parents can make to keep students from leaving school.
Brenda Dorosz, chair of SOS, responded to Safek’s letter in a Facebook post saying some of the details in Safek’s letter are wrong, such as a suggestion that protesters will meet at town hall. The protest takes place at the school, she said.
“The school board clearly denied our students a voice March 8 when they refused to allow them to speak at the microphone!” Dorosz wrote.
She was referring to an incident at the end of the March 8 public consultation meeting at the Sonora Community Centre in which a group of students requested to speak at the end of the meeting, but were not permitted to by moderator Brian Pepper.
Schools in two other districts spared from closure
Osoyoos parents are encouraged by actions of a couple school boards in other parts of B.C. who have reversed plans to close schools.
Last Thursday, School District 71 trustees voted not to close Ecole Puntledge Park Elementary School in Courtenay.
Among the arguments against the closure was a concern raised by school board chair Tom Weber that repurposing of a closed school as an independent school could draw students away from the public system, further reducing provincial per-student funding.
Some Osoyoos parents and community leaders are exploring the establishment of an independent high school in Osoyoos if School District 53 closes Osoyoos Secondary School – a move they say would cause the school district to lose funding.
The vote to save Puntledge follows a decision earlier this month by North Okanagan-Shuswap School District 83 to give a one-year reprieve to two elementary schools in Armstrong and Salmon Arm that were slated for closure.
Letters express overwhelming opposition to school closures
Public opposition to the closure of Osoyoos schools is overwhelming based on correspondence School District 53 posted to its website last week.
The district posted more than 150 pages of letters and emails received up to March 15 from the public, including from local organizations, almost all opposing the closure.
There are nearly 200 additional pages submitted through the Save Our Schools (SOS) committee, as well as results of an online petition signed by nearly 1,200 people.
Most letters from individuals have had names of senders redacted, even though the same letters have been publicly released elsewhere.
Included are letters from such organizations as Osoyoos and District Arts Council, Osoyoos Indian Band, the Village of Keremeos and the Sun Bowl Skating Club, among many others.
Among other items posted are notes from a Feb. 23 consultation meeting with representatives of parent advisory councils for Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS) and Osoyoos Elementary School (OSE).
Marieze Tarr, school board chair, opened the meeting with a brief speech.
The meeting was told that among the reasons for considering school closures, “parents were expressing concern regarding options for students at high school.”
Questioned how many parents had expressed concerns about the need for more opportunity for students, the response was: “Around 10 parents at least.”
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
