• cut staff, programs and maintenance each year,
• turn to the private sector to fund our schools, and
• close and sell schools to raise mone

This underfunding is hurting the schools in all of our communities. Our school buildings are falling into disrepair and our children lose out on music, art, computers, sports, outdoor education, shop and home economics programs that were available to earlier generations. Private money from parent fundraising and student fees is leading to a growing gap in educational opportunities between schools in rich and poor neighbourhoods. And the province’s solution is to force boards to close and sell schools in order to make up for the funding shortfalls – in essence, cannibalizing the system.

There are currently a number of ways that parents can get involved in their schools, but none of these official channels provide parents with a real role in the educational decisions about our public schools. The lack of decision making power is particularly evident in the school closing process conducted by Area Review Committees (ARCs).

When these committees are formed, it quickly becomes apparent to the community members that a decision to close one or more schools has already been made and that ARC community members are really being asked to rubber stamp the decision. The school board staff that institute ARCs leave questions unanswered and do not give proper consideration to recommendations coming from community members. Thus, school boards make decisions against the express will of parents and students, while principals and teachers are publicly being bullied by senior board staff.

These “consultations” are played out while the provincial government, with its absolute control of our education tax dollars and of senior staff at school boards, pulls the strings, refusing to loosen those of the purse so enough money can be available for public education..

At all levels, we need to build a public education system that recognizes that schools are owned by the communities whose tax dollars built them, and that parents have the right to be engaged as equals in the decisions that affect our children’s education.

Therefore, Save Ontario Schools will campaign for:

• A smart moratorium on school closings
• A properly funded public education system
• Student and parent control in the decision-making process