While history, tradition and lore have an important role to play in building a community, so too do the needs of children, needs of their neighbourhoods and the need to be fiscally responsible.
So as the Simcoe County District School Board examines how to handle the declining enrolment in the central area of the city, the families served by Prince of Wales, Hillcrest, Portage View and Andrew Hunter schools, it should seriously look to the present and futre as it looks to close schools, which shape not only lives but neighbourhoods.
Four options are being discussed, with three closing Prince of Wales; this should be a no-brainer. Deemed prohibitive to repair (PTR) by the Ministry of Education, Prince of Wales is home to less than 100 neighbourhood children. It’s barely being kept viable by the extended French program, which could be easily moved to nearby Hillcrest (a 10-minute walk away, on the edge of downtown, yet in one of the largest greenspaces in the city).
Keeping Prince of Wales open would cost at least the $5.6 million the school board will receive in PTR funding. And for what? To keep less than 100 neighbourhood children where they are.
The school board could learn from Barrie’s experience of working in that district; two separate roadwork contracts came in way over budget, due to soil contamination and dewatering. Chances are bringing Prince of Wales up to Building Code standards will cost closer to $10 million than $5 million, especially as the school needs a new gym, library, and kindergarten areas, as well as accessible washrooms on every level.
And accessibility should not be dismissed. Currently, Hillcrest is not accessible. Yes, kids in wheelchairs are being turned away from their home school. This should not be allowed to continue in Ontario in 2009. But if Prince of Wales were to be kept open, there’d be no money left to make Hillcrest accessible.
Nor would there be cash to give Portage View a new gym, a better library, and add classrooms.
Nor would there be cash to upgrade Andrew Hunter to accommodate children in the Edgehill Drive area – whose bus ride would be cut in half, who could attend a school with a city-owned rink, recreation centre and pool attached to it.
Should the convenience of 100 children outweigh the good of 1,500 others?
No.
Instead, imagine Prince of Wales playing a new role in the community.
It could be easily converted into an incredible arts space; Barrie is now trying to help the Barrie Art Club find studio and store space in the city core. Following the tradition in Toronto’s Distillery District (among other examples), Barrie could convert the old school – with its high-ceilinged, bright classrooms, into studios. The artists based there could easily access the downtown core and waterfront area for inspiration.
This supports the city’s vision to use arts as an economic driver. It’s also consistent with cutting-edge economic theory that outlines how the wealth-generating “creative class” creates jobs. Highly sought-after, this group could locate anywhere in the world, yet it looks for a sense of place, where people in the community can connect and create together. Helping artists integrate into public spaces would spur on more creativity and build the vibrant sector that Premier Dalton McGuinty is looking to foster, thanks to a study by Dr. Richard Florida and his research team.
This scenario outlined has a name. It’s called Option B.
And it’s the best way for the school board to forge ahead to help build a better Barrie for our kids today and tomorrow.
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