Dear Editor:
This is an open letter to the trustees with School District 53 and the Osoyoos community at large.
To the trustees with School District 53, I appreciate that you have applied for the Rural Education Enhancement Fund (REEF) and am hopeful that Osoyoos Secondary School will now remain open.
I know the board has also applied for another $103,000 grant for deferred maintenance. There was a notice of motion made that required the monies from both grants to be received in order to rescind the motion to close OSS. I hope that should the government provide SD53 with ‘only’ $387,000 that you will still keep our school open.
There is a strong will within Osoyoos to maintain our high school. It’s not acceptable to me to close OSS for a $103,000 ‘shortfall’ that could be obtained through collaboration with our town, business members and residents.
Numerous options were provided to the board during the community consultation that could be considered. Please do not sit back and idly wait for the government to decide our district’s fate. Please be proactive in looking for other options to cover this $103,000 should that grant not be provided with REEF funding.
On a second note, I was very surprised (and disappointed) during the last open board meeting when trustees Rachel Allenbrand and Rob Zandee were strongly advocating for additional course options for high school students (in Oliver and Osoyoos) that there was no mention of the new timetable planned for OSS and the additional course offerings it would provide.
This information is well known to the board, or should be, and should have been included in the discussion and considered as an option to provide SOSS students with additional course opportunities.
Hester Brunner
Osoyoos, B.C.
