Puslinch councillors support the idea of the province rethinking its educational accommodation review process.
Last November, Town of Lakeshore councillors passed a resolution stating the current accommodation review process released by the Minister of Education to serve as a province-wide minimum standard “is not reflective of the reality of rural school and community life.”
Further, Lakeshore councillors contend “school closures impact single-school small rural communities in all educational, social and economic aspects to a far greater degree than those impacts in multi-school urban communities.”
As a result, Lakeshore is requesting a moratorium on the accommodation review process until such time as there is a review on the impacts to small communities.
At the Dec. 21 Puslinch council session, Mayor Dennis Lever said, “I don’t know if anyone else on council has been contacted yet, but don’t be surprised if you are.”
Lever stated he was contacted on this issue and asked for a resolution to be passed at the county level.
Councillor Matthew Bulmer said he had the opportunity, eons ago, to sit on an accommodation review panel in Wellington County and, “It was an eye-opener.”
He said rural schools face a lot of disadvantages in this process because of the different priorities people have for their schools.
Bulmer said, “It was difficult to get some people to not grade schools which would result in closure, rather than reallocating resources to address schools in rural areas which might be struggling.”
He added, “Closing the schools and bussing students elsewhere was often seen as the only option.”
Bulmer said, “Having a low score does not mean it is a bad school. I can understand why these smaller rural communities feel like they are under the gun in terms of this review process.”
Councillor Susan Fielding agreed. She too has taken part in an accommodation review.
“One of the things I think is highly unfair is being judged on the ability of a school to fundraise,” said Fielding.
She added schools in wealthy areas or near corporate sponsors have a huge advantage.
“To me there is a definite inequity in the scoring system and I don’t like it.”
Lever asked if Puslinch was interested in supporting Lakeshore or passing its own resolution. Councillors saw no harm in supporting Lakeshore’s resolution.
