Nearly 1,000 people packed into the gymnasium at Osoyoos Secondary School early last February, as well as the mezzanine above, to show their support for keeping Osoyoos schools open. (Richard McGuire photo)
A loud and volatile crowd of more than 1,000 local residents poured into the gymnasium at Osoyoos Secondary School in early February to tell School District 53 trustees in no uncertain words they would not accept having their school close.
Former Osoyoos mayor Stu Wells received a rapturous standing ovation after stating that they must reconsider their position to close OSS.
After a 40-minute presentation by school district superintendent Bev Young and secretary-treasurer Lynda Minnabarriet about the financial deficit the board has to deal with leading to the decision to close one of the two schools in Osoyoos, Wells lashed out.
“Your slide show was very slick and clearly led to this recommendation,” said an obviously emotional Wells. “But I never once heard the word ‘student’.”
Wells told the current trustees that he served as a trustee with two different school boards over 11 years and the decision to close a school in a small community would never have been considered.
School board trustees are elected officials, but the majority of the current trustees were not elected by residents of Osoyoos and should not have the power to close a school in this community, said Wells, who received one of many standing ovations over the course of the three-and-a-half hour meeting,
“The people in our town didn’t vote for anyone from Keremeos or Cawston or Okanagan Falls,” he said. “I don’t think you should have the authority (to close schools).”
The only people who should have the power to close a school in a small town like Osoyoos is Education Minister Mike Bernier or Premier Christy Clark and they should have to come to our community to defend their decision, said Wells.
More than three dozen teachers, parents, municipal politicians, OSS and OSE students and local residents urged, pleaded, lectured, yelled at and spoke from their heart about how closing either school in Osoyoos would be devastating to this community.
Mayor Sue McKortoff was the first speaker to step up to the microphone after the presentation by Young and Minnabarriet.
McKortoff, who was a teacher at OSS for 34 years before retiring, said there are numerous options the board must consider and adopt rather than closing schools.
“It would not only affect the students … but it would have a profound impact on the wellbeing of our town,” she said.
Local businesses would suffer immensely if either school was closed and our reputation as a mecca for tourism would be adversely affected, said McKortoff. There was basically no consultation between the board of trustees and town council or senior administration before the decision to propose closing one of the schools in Osoyoos was made, she said.
McKortoff said it’s beyond frustrating that the board’s final recommendations targeted the closure of schools in Osoyoos and reiterated there are numerous options that must be explored and adopted before any school is closed.
“We encourage our kids to become creative problem solvers … we ask you to do the same,” said McKortoff. “Closing any school should be the absolute last option.”
Brenda Dorosz, the founder of the Save Our Schools (SOS), also received thunderous applause when she said her group has gathered 3,300 signatures on a local petition demanding both schools in Osoyoos remain open.
All options, including four-day school weeks that have proven successful in reducing costs in other school districts, must be examined, said Dorosz.
Cutting senior administration would achieve significant savings and is a far better option than closing schools, said Dorosz to another standing ovation.
Dorosz warned that closing either school would destroy this community.
“It won’t only close our school, it will close our town,” she said. “We can keep every school open and provide the best education to every student in our district.”
Jason Bartsch, a well-known Osoyoos dentist and longtime community volunteer, said the board must look at all options presented by those in attendance rather than close any school in Osoyoos.
“The notion of closing a school is terrifying at best,” he said.
Osoyoos would not be able to attract young families to this community if either school closed and this would devastate the local economy and any future plans to grow and develop this town, said Bartsch.
“I’m not confident that every option has been looked at,” he said. “Closing a school should only be used as the ultimate and final last resort.”
Days later, McKortoff sent a strongly worded letter to Marieze Tarr, chair of School District 53, opposing the closure of Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS).
McKortoff said the economic and social damage that would be inflicted on Osoyoos by closing OSS “is astronomical compared to the trivial savings of closing the school.”
“By all appearances, the decision to close OSS was made at the same time as the decision to increase the size of SOSS,” wrote McKortoff. “This current situation ‘taints’ the concept of SD 53 providing transparent governance and consultation with the regional constituency. Regional consultation needed to be carried out prior to the expansion of SOSS.”
The Town of Osoyoos also announced it was considering the possibility of a grant to School District 53 conditional on keeping local schools open, but it’s not an option the town is eyeing with enthusiasm.
“I think it’s really an absolute last resort,” said McKortoff, adding that she discussed the idea with Mark Pendergraft, chair and rural Osoyoos representative with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS).
McKortoff said the town can contribute, but if it involved borrowing, it would need to go to a referendum.
The school district faced a growing structural deficit currently at $530,000 due to declining enrolments throughout the district. The provincial government’s funding formula is based on the number of students in the district. That deficit is expected to reach $1.4 million by the 2017-18 school year.
Meanwhile, the provincial government announced it was looking at establishing eight full-time permanent inspection stations along its borders this year to counter the threat of invasive zebra and quagga mussels.
The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) had urged the province to move forward with a Ministry of Environment proposal, which would provide the stations the OBWB has been calling for since 2012.
The mandatory inspection stations would be in place for the 2016 boating season, if adopted, the OBWB said.
Recreational boats that have not been property cleaned, drained and dried after being used in infested waters are the main means that mussels have been spread over much of North America.
The mussels cover any surface in the water including water intakes, docks, boats, bridges and other infrastructure. Their razor-sharp shells cover beaches.
The Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) recently estimated costs to the region of a mussel invasion would be more than $500 million a year.
While other jurisdictions in the region have adopted permanent inspection stations, B.C. so far had only provided roving inspections, which the OBWB didn’t believe were sufficient.
OBWB Chair Doug Findlater wrote to Environment Minister Mary Polak and Finance Minister Michael de Jong urging them to go forward with the proposal.
“Every year B.C. commits to programs that keep us free of invasive mussels is an investment in the economy and environment of our province,” Findlater concluded.
OSOYOOS TIMES STAFF
Osoyoos Times
Brenda Dorosz, chair of the citizens’ group Save Our Schools (SOS) delivered a well-researched, powerful presentation pointing to administrative savings the school district could make instead of closing schools. She also revealed accident statistics from ICBC pointing to the likelihood of tragic accidents if more students drive to school. (Richard McGuire photo)
Six of the seven school board trustees came of OSS to hear from the Osoyoos community about the potential school closings. From left are Rob Zandee, Rachel Allenbrand, Debbie Marten, June Harrington, Myrna Coates and Chair Marieze Tarr. Missing was Sam Hancheroff. (Richard McGuire photo)
Armed with information she’s gathered, Brenda Dorosz, chair of Save Our Schools (SOS), spoke to members of her group at a meeting last February. (Richard McGuire photo)
Billy Medwid tees off while We Greve looks on at the Osoyoos Golf Club. The course opened in early February. Both men are from Osoyoos. (Richard McGuire photo)
Coyote Ryan Morrell (right) and Kamloops goalie Tavin Grant check to see if the puck is in the net after Morrell scored for the Coyotes’ in a game last February. The Coyotes had a red hot regular season, but they fizzled in the playoffs. (Richard McGuire photo)
Osoyoos Elementary School Principal Dave Foster speaks to children at a lunch event last February at the Sonora Centre to mark the conclusion of 17 Days of Kindness. (Richard McGuire photo)
