We were wrong about the PARC

Jeff Green | May 20, 2010

Editorial by Jeff Green

Sometimes transparency is misconstrued as manipulation.

As an observer of the Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC), which spent eight months deliberating about the future of the schools in Central and North Frontenac, there were times when I thought the process was some kind of a sham.

The parent council and staff members from schools in Parham, Mountain Grove, Sharbot Lake and Plevna were being led step by step through funding and service models that were designed by the Ministry of Education in Toronto.

The school board staff, who were providing information to the PARC, seemed to be trying to get the parents to do their dirty work for them.

The PARC stuck it out and delivered a report that took into account all the information they had received, but they put their own stamp on things.

Although they took the painful decision to agree that Hinchinbrooke Public School needs to close in order to make building a new school viable, when it came to Land O' Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove, which is newer, they balked. They decided it should remain open.

Months later, the school board senior staff submitted their response to the PARC committee report, and it said Land O 'Lakes had to close as well in order for a new school to be built.

“Aha” I thought, “just as I suspected. They heard what the people said and then did exactly what they had planned to do from the beginning.”

Nonetheless, when there was an opportunity for the public to address the senior staff report, they came out in numbers and made some pretty strong arguments in favour of keeping Land O'Lakes Public School open. It was not only people from Mountain Grove making these points. There were people from Arden, Sharbot Lake, and even Parham who came forward to support Land O' Lakes Public School. Central Frontenac Township made presentations as well.

After that meeting, I recall thinking that the presentations probably would not change anything, but at the very least the supporters of LOLPS had made a number of coherent, respectful presentations to the entire Limestone Board of Trustees.

It turned out, much to my surprise, that not only were the trustees listening very carefully to what was being said, but the school board senior staff and the board of trustees then worked pretty hard behind the scenes, and did some negotiating with the Ministry of Education. They came up with a plan that delivers a new $14 million school, and not only keeps both Clarendon Central and Land O' Lakes Public Schools open, but includes another $1 million for upgrades to them.

It turns out that the whole thing was anything but a done deal from the start. It turns out that the school board was listening to the people all along. It turns out that the way information was being shared throughout the process was really about being honest and transparent.

All of this is indeed cold comfort for residents of Parham who are facing the loss of their community school. And it is true that without closing Hinchinbrooke there would be no new build on the horizon.

But with all that has happened, it is simply not true that the school board conspired to close Hinchinbrooke School. The decision to close it was reached by a number of people, including people who have done a lot of work for Hinchinbrooke school over the years.

The bad news is that a community will lose its school. The good news is that only one community will lose its school and $15 million in new infrastructure will be created in townships that sorely need a boost.

Thank you Limestone District School Board.