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)
School districts across the province are reaping an unexpected windfall from teachers’ pension premium reductions that is helping to relieve budget pressures.
The savings will reduce the size of the projected deficit in School District 53 in 2016-17 by about $200,000, said Lynda Minnabarriet, secretary treasurer of SD 53.
There will be no impact on the recently approved 2015-16 budget, she said.
A Ministry of Education spokesperson said all school districts in the province were recently notified of this cost saving. Teachers’ pension plan premiums are being reduced by 1.82 per cent as of July 1.
Minnabarriet said school trustees were not aware of this cost reduction when they voted on Jan. 13 to begin consultations on closing an Osoyoos school.
At the time, trustees were told the expected budget shortfall for 2016-17 would be $1.1 million. Now, she said, the anticipated deficit could be reduced to $900,000.
Tarr will cast vote on April 6, but she’s still undecided
Marieze Tarr, the chair of School District 53 and an Osoyoos trustee, says she will cast a vote when the issue of closing a school in Osoyoos comes before the board on April 6.
“I believe every trustee will vote because it is something important,” Tarr said in an interview Monday.
Asked if this meant she would vote this time, she replied: “Yes.”
She added that she and other trustees are still gathering information and listening to feedback, so she hasn’t yet made up her mind.
“I’m still asking questions, so no, I don’t know which way I’m going to vote,” she said.
Many people in Osoyoos have criticized Tarr for not voting on Jan. 13 when the board voted 5-1 to begin public consultations on closing either Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS) or closing Osoyoos Elementary School (OSE) and making OSS into a Kindergarten to Grade 9.
Tarr said she didn’t vote then because as chair, she only votes to break a tie.
Brenda Dorosz, chair of Save Our Schools (SOS), started a letter and email campaign this week urging parents to write to trustees calling on all of them to vote April 6 and have that vote recorded.
“It has been proven that the board chair can and should vote in school closure motions,” wrote Dorosz.
In a posting on Facebook, Dorosz points to several discussions of Robert’s Rules of Order that say the belief that a chair can only vote to break a tie is mistaken.
One discussion, however, cites Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised as adding the proviso, “subject to rule or custom within the particular board.”
“That’s exactly what happened,” said Tarr. “Historically in our district – and I’ve been in our district for 14 years – the chair never voted unless there was a tie.”
Tarr said she discussed the matter with other board chairs in the branch, which includes school districts throughout the Southern B.C. Interior, and most follow the same practice as SD 53.
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)
Meeting moderator has history with school closures
Brian Pepper, the moderator at last Tuesday’s school closing consultation, tried to evade some of the questions thrown at him by suspicious members of the audience.
They wanted to know who he was, where he came from and what he was being paid.
Pepper ran a tight meeting, holding speakers on a list to a three-minute maximum, and finishing on time at 9 p.m.
But he also drew fire for cutting off some speakers and not allowing some people who weren’t on the list to speak at the end, including a group of students.
Pepper, it turns out, was superintendent for Prince George School District 57 from 2006 until his resignation at the end of 2015.
That school district has closed 22 schools since 2002, seven of those while Pepper was superintendent.
Lynda Minnabarriet, secretary treasurer of SD 53, said the cost for Pepper to moderate the meeting was $800 and he charged for expenses only.
She said he has not been engaged in any other capacity concerning the proposed school closures in Osoyoos.
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)
Dorosz takes complaints about process, lack of documents to Office of the Ombudsperson
Brenda Dorosz, chair of Save Our Schools (SOS), says she’s taken her group’s concerns about the school closure process to the Office of the Ombudsperson of B.C.
That office has the power to investigate a wide range of provincial public agencies, which include schools and school districts.
Dorosz said she’s been denied some of the financial information she’s requested from School District 53 and she’s also not received requested documentation justifying the decision to increase the capacity of Southern Okanagan Secondary School (SOSS) in Oliver to 700.
She said superintendent Bev Young responded to her in an email simply stating that because of extra space at the school, the Ministry of Education views capacity as 700.
“Her word is not fact,” said Dorosz. “I want to see documents.”
She’s also filed a request for this information under the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, but the initial fee she was quoted for this information was “very heavy.”
Among her complaints about the process were the way some people were excluded from speaking at last Tuesday’s public consultation meeting as well as the perceived bias of the moderator.
Martha Collins expresses appreciation to Rob Fleming, NDP education critic, after he gave some strong remarks calling for the provincial government to provide adequate funding to school districts so they aren’t forced to close schools. (Richard McGuire photo)
Media battle continues as Larson fails to show, Fleming gets standing ovation
The battle of media statements between MLA Linda Larson and NDP Education Critic Rob Fleming continued after last Tuesday’s public consultation meeting at the Sonora Community Centre.
Fleming spoke passionately at that meeting and received a standing ovation. Larson stayed away.
In an op-ed piece sent out the following day, Larson attacked Fleming.
“What is not constructive … is interference in the form of political opportunism, specifically from Victoria MLA Rob Fleming…,” Larson wrote. “What our community doesn’t need is Mr. Fleming’s continuing sideshow, which serves no purpose other than to address his and his party’s desire to bash the B.C. government at every turn.”
Just 20 minutes later, the NDP Caucus sent out its own media release titled: “MLA Larson skips school closure meeting.”
It quoted Fleming saying it was disappointing that Larson “lived up to her vow that she would not attend the meeting to hear what her constituents and parents of children in Osoyoos say about how the school closure will impact their lives…
“These parents need a voice,” Fleming continued. “MLAs have a responsibility to represent their community.”
Following the meeting, Fleming said he was impressed by the way parents, civic leaders, the business community and others are working together with such energy.
Fleming argues that school closures throughout the province are caused by in adequate provincial funding of schools and forced cuts.
During his time in Osoyoos, he had meetings with members of town council; Marieze Tarr, school board chair, and Bev Young, school district superintendent; some of the parents involved in parent advisory councils; members of Save Our Schools (SOS); and a teacher among others.
Brenda Dorosz, chair of SOS, pointed out that she asked Premier Christy Clark, Education Minister Mike Bernier, Larson and Fleming to attend Tuesday’s meeting. Fleming was the only one who came.
Schools in Okanagan-Skaha to close, schools in North Okanagan-Shuswap get one-year reprieve
Two Okanagan school districts made two different decisions on school closures last week.
Okanagan Skaha voted to close three schools – West Bench Elementary and McNicoll Park Middle School in Penticton and Trout Creek Elementary in Summerland. Those closures take effect on July 1.
Other schools were spared, including Carmi Elementary and Parkway Elementary in Penticton and Giant’s Head Elementary in Summerland.
Meanwhile, in North Okanagan-Shuswap, trustees voted to delay for another year a decision on closing schools in Armstrong and Salmon Arm.
The historic old brick Armstrong Elementary School and Silver Creek Elementary in Salmon Arm have been spared for now.
Committees will review demographic information, school configurations and catchment areas.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
