Whee! Time for another rant. Apparently there are rumblings in the news-o-sphere that London may be looking to close some more under-utilized schools. Needless to say, all the people who have kids that currently go to these schools are up in arms about the prospect of losing their school. If my kid’s school was to be closing it would suck but if the TVDSB made a good argument for it then so be it. If the school is only half full, or can’t even really make 1 graduating class, then maybe it’s time to look at selling off the surplus. So my kid has to go to the school down the road. It’s not like they’re going to bus him an hour across the city. Assuming the Board is intelligent about it they would move him to one of the schools within a mile on either side of his current school. Hell, the one school is close enough that he could EASILY walk there as there as well. The other school is a bit further – it would be about a 25 minute walk I think.
So here’s my solution. When they announce a school is going to be closed (based on a set criteria – usually lack of enrollment) the parents that don’t want the school to close should be given an option to keep it open. The cost of maintaining the school above and beyond the regular costs would be split amongst the parents who wish to keep their little precious at that school. I’m not talking about teacher salaries (although if there isn’t a full class that may have to be addressed). I’m talking about physical upkeep costs, maintenance staff, etc. So if a school that is built to hold 1300 students only has 600 enrolled then the axe should be sharpened. If 250 of those 600 want to keep little Bill and Sally right where they are then those 250 would submit papers agreeing to pay 1/250th of the upkeep costs. I would be willing to go out on a limb and say that once The 250 found out the cost they’d be more than happy to send Billy an extra mile or two down the road.