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Trustees pass motion recommending school closures

Parksville- A 90-day public consultation period will now begin which could change the scope what's being recommended

LISSA ALEXANDER

reporter@pqbnews.com

Local school board trustees have passed a motion that could ultimately see four elementary schools closed by the end of the school year.

Board Chair Lynette Kershaw made comments to the large group of people present at the meeting that the decision is not an easy one.

“This is an excruciating, difficult position to be in, and none of us are taking this lightly,” she said, adding that closing schools or amalgamating or reconfiguring schools is only a portion of what trustees have to do to balance their budget.

She said even if the four school recommended for closure are in fact closed they will only save $1.2 million which would almost satisfy their deficit this year, but another $1.8 would have to found in the next four to five years for projected deficits.

“So the facilities part of it, but as difficult as this part is we still have another hurdle to over come and that’s the regular budget,” Kershaw said. “We still have to cut in other locations too.”

A 90-day public consultation period will now begin and although the motion was passed, by the end of the 90-days a very different picture could be painted, the public heard at the meeting. Certain schools could be taken off the chopping block or others could still be added.

The first public consultation meeting will take place Feb. 12 at Springwood Middle School at 7 p.m.

More information coming up in Thursday’s edition of The News.

 

Previous story published Thursday, Jan 23:

http://www.pqbnews.com/news/242422221.html