Goodbye, Parkside, Highland, Delta, Sir John A. Macdonald, Mountain, Parkview, Hill Park and Barton. So long. I didn't go to any of those schools but I already miss them. Why you ask? Schools form the heart of communities and neighbourhoods. Schools become oh so much more than education facilities. They generally host arts and culture groups and play a role in outreach to the surrounding community with their bright and young capable minds. They are the centre for food drives, environmental clean ups and sports tournaments. In many cases businesses have located as close as possible to these schools to service (ok make some money but there's nothing wrong with that) in general over a thousand potential customers. These brick and mortar neighbourhood entrepots are at the centre of all that is considered good and bad in a neighbourhood with heavy emphasis on the good. But now due to the lack of spine featured by many long serving school board trustees these neighbourhood focal points will be closed as education is gutted in Dundas, the central lower city of Hamilton and the central mountain.
Where to begin? How about we begin with the lack of renovations over the last decade to most of these schools which is now being used as an excuse to close them in favour of new super schools. Many of the same trustees blindly followed staff recommendations to do nothing while science labs decayed and central plant fell behind the times. This hasn't happened overnight. The neglect at some of these schools is almost criminal and now kids will pay the price. When ARC's were set up to study the closure or renovation question were some schools left off the consideration list? Absolutely. My old school, Westmount was not considered which makes the whole process patently ridiculous. Thirdly where is the new mountain high school going to be located? South east of Limeridge and the Linc we're told. Well based on the way population and demographic shifts are taking place I'd suggest this new school be built as far south as possible because the old city growth is not going to stop at the hydro lines or Twenty Rd, it's going to keep on heading south especially if Aerotropolis takes flight and/or new business announcements take place near Canada Bread. I guess I'm ready to burst because a kid living at Upper Wellington and Concession who might have had a decent hike to Hill Park is now going to be on a bus for at least half an hour each way trying to get to this new school to be built somewhere. I guess I'm ready to burst because a historical building like Delta is now under threat and that a relatively new building like Sir John A. is going to be shut down. If you're a kid living under the brow on say Ferguson Ave. just where will you be going to school?
This group of trustees has just decimated education in this city upending the lives of kids who in 2015 should be enjoying their final year of high school instead of wondering if they should take a brick home as a souvenir. The least scrutinised politicians in this city have just pulled off history. They have done more injury to families, kids, neighbourhoods and this community then any debate about the location of a football stadium did or could. They ought to be ashamed and yet with a multiplicity of school boards in Ontario competing for students and fighting over catchment basins can they be entirely held at fault? Nope, there's lots of fault to be shared with staff and with the Ministry of Education. On the morning after go ahead and shed a tear for a Blue Baron, a Ram, a Panther, a Hawk, a member of the Blue and Gold or a Red Raider because a dark cloud just settled over their present and future likely eliminating their past.
The worst part about this is they aren't done. They voted to close 2 elementary schools along with all the highschools but most elementary school ARCs will be starting in the next year. As Trustee Peddle said "hold on to your hats" because there are many more school closures coming down the line. It's sickening.
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