Community argues against school closure
MOSER RIVER - Residents of Moser River had their final opportunity last Tuesday to present their case to the Halifax Regional School Board against the possible closure of Eastern Consolidated School at the end of July. The board will vote tonight (Wednesday) at Alderney Landing on the outcome of the recommendation for closure.
Eleven members of the board listened attentively as over 100 residents, parents, and review committee representatives in the standing-room-only auditorium of the little school, offered legitimate reasons why the P-5 school should remain open to the 29 students who receive their education there.
The community rallied together over the past seven months to prepare their argument and the number one issue presented was bussing the students, ages 5 to 11 years of age, on a 44 klm trip one way to and from school to attend the Sheet Harbour Consolidated School as a result of a closure of Eastern Consolidated. School children who presently are on board the buses for up to a twenty-five minute transport to Moser River would now be forced to endure up to one hour and twenty-five minutes one way to Sheet Harbour. This time line does not take into account poor road conditions in winter months or the added distance on graveled byroads.
In addition students would lose extracurricular activities as there is no late bus run back to Moser River and the distance is prohibitive for parents to make arrangements for their children to participate in after-school programs, sports or recreational activities.
Eastern Consolidated School was illustrated as the heart of the community where not only the local children receive their education but where the Cap Site, HRM Recreation and the Women's Centre all offer programming. The GED program and Stories and Crafts for pre-schoolers are an active part of the school's use.
School board representative for District 1, Bridget Boutilier, is pushing for the school to remain open and hopes the case she has helped make to her colleagues will prove to have a positive outcome reflected in the vote. Boutilier says, "The school board would save $20,000 by closing this school but yet spend $50,000 on a bus to transport these students. That doesn't make any sense." She goes on to say, "With a school board that deals with a $330 million dollar budget, we are not talking big money in the operation of Eastern Consolidated."
ECS review committee co-chair Earline Sharpe, expresses optimism in the outcome of the presentation to the board. "The board requested a tour of the school and appeared very interested in the accessibility of the school for programming and to the community." Sharpe explained the challenges of having the school open to the public due to liability and caretaker issues. "I felt that the board looked at the school differently , and its function in the community, when they realized what is offered here."
The facilitator of the Review Committee, Orville Mombourquette, left the public meeting feeling hopeful that the rural school would remain open. "I felt that the committee did a professional job in presenting very good points to the board members making this decision. While there was not a lot new brought forth since the previous meetings, there was a continued focus and having the community present gave it a personal touch" .
District 1 of the Halifax Regional School Board is the largest geographical district, at over 3,000 square miles. Board member, Bridget Boutilier, provided the board with mapping to help them visualize the distance rural children travel to obtain their education. Boutilier is adamant in her argument that guidelines for school closures for rural communities need to be reviewed and exceptions made.
