KCVI the Loser in PARC’s Recommendations
KCVI has been voted off the island.
Last night the Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) voted down five options that would save KCVI, adding only a recommendation that the Board make it a priority to “look for” a 3-school solution. Two other options were passed: one to close KCVI and move students to either LCVI or QECVI; and another to close two schools and build a new school on a new site.
“This process is damaged,” said Lindsay Davidson, a parent representative for KCVI. Dr. Davidson pointed to the “wanton neglect” of the KCVI building that indicated certain individuals were determined to close it. “The ‘Survivor’ mentality has been here from the start,” she said.
All the parent representatives from KCVI and Module Vanier left the table after two new motions, to start afresh and keep all three schools open, were defeated. The motions involved ideas about exploring partnerships and enabling programming with a 3-school hub model and enhanced e-learning opportunities. Lindsey Foster, a Vanier representative who moved one of the motions, noted the many productive and concrete proposals that had been emerging for partnerships within the schools, including one to build a new community health facility in QECVI which had emerged that day.
“Close to 1,200 people came to the public meetings and made it clear they wanted all three school communities to stay open,” said Sue Cumming, a parent representative for Vanier and a Calvin Park resident. Ms. Cumming said she was “very dismayed” that the other members of the PARC “couldn’t be open-minded. You would close a school rather than listen to public input and find a creative solution. Our mandate was to find a consensus, but there is no consensus here.”
Carl Bray, a KCVI parent representative, spoke of how partnerships and e-learning offered a twenty-first-century solution to keep schools open and strengthen programming, instead of the ‘Walmart’ approach to education which closes small schools to enable big ones.
“Today we will go from three to two schools, but a few years down the road, we will go from two to one,” warned Eric Walton, a representative for Vanier.
The recommendations go to the School Board and will be considered, along with recommendations by staff, by the Board’s trustees. A final decision is not expected for some months.
That's a shame, KC is a great school. This will destroy that neighborhood.
Regardless of which school is closed you will still have people that do not like the choice
It isn't about whether anyone likes or doesn't like the choice, it is about the far-reaching implications that this kind of decision has on a community. Many people don't consider these until it is too late.
Or they're too narrow-minded (read stupid) to understand the consequences.
Are you truly willing to have your taxes go up? On CKWS , I heard that some of the people signing the petition do not even live in Kingston. Heck some do not even live in Canada. These out of towners are not paying our tax bill. The majority of the people are deciding on pure emotion. Quality of education comes from people, not a brick and steel structure. Now the questions is. What percentage of students are actually bused in rather than walking to school.
Absolutely. There is an intelligence in forward thinking that is objective and sensible. To close a school that 'works' to educate kids is ludicrous.
There are no good educational reasons for any of these closures. This is about the usual developers making more money with the aid of local government. We all know that. There's no need for anyone to take seriously for a second the pretense that there has actually been a genuine process of consultation and research and that this is a carefully thought-out choice.
Its unbelievably obvious why there has to be a closure. Too much space, too few students with no prospect for more, too expensive buildings, and a funding level the school board has no control over even if they thought it was a good idea to raise taxes and waste money on buildings.
KCVI is over-subscribed and a powerful force in education. To close demonstrates prejudicial thinking or sheer stupidity.
I read the comments from Rob Baker and at first i thought his proposal made sense. Then came the threat of keep kcvi open or he will sell his house. How sad is it that we try to teach our children that money isn't everything when actually it is. Money talks! KCVI will stay open no worries!
When KCVI remains open it will only be because it's the right thing to do.