A crowd of concerned parents listens to a presentation from Hastings and Prince Edward School Board staff. Part of the Centre Hastings accommodation review process. (Photo: David Foot / Quinte News)
Parents in Centre Hastings got their first chance to hear about and give feedback on, a proposal to close and consolidate some area schools, at a public meeting Wednesday night.
The Hastings Prince Edward School Board is proposing a closure of Madoc Township Public School, effective this September, with students there moving into town to Madoc Public School and then shifting grade seven and eight students over to Centre Hastings Secondary School.
That issue of moving senior elementary students into the high school, was one that touched off a number of negative reactions.
There was also plenty of concern from parents who live in the township who noted that while Madoc certainly isn’t a metropolis, the change has some young students worried.
The proposal to close and consolidate comes as the board deals with declining government funding, which is tied to enrolment and use of student space.
Centre Hastings Secondary is using just 55% of its student space, while Madoc Township is also below capacity and Madoc Public School is at 97%, which is why the older elementary students would move to CHSS.
All three schools also need millions of dollars worth of various repair work, another thing that raised speculation from parents, who wondered why the repairs all had to be done at once.
The information collected on Wednesday will be given to the local accommodation review committee, who will have a report in front of the school board by April 4th, 2017 at the earliest.
The final decision would be made by the board at the June 19, 2017 meeting, but there will be more opportunities for public input before that time.
You can click here to visit the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board website and get all of the information you need on the process.
