Re: Land o'Lakes school

David Daski | Jul 13, 2016

I have read Jeff Green's editorial Verona is being betrayed, once again July 7/16, on the unfortunate events that now may lead to the closure of Prince Charles school in Verona. I would like to talk about Land O' Lakes school and its own deal with the devil.

Nine years ago it was all but certain that Land O' Lakes would close to allow for the construction of a new school in Sharbot Lake. At the last moment a groundswell of support, by those living in the area of Mountain Grove and Arden, saved the school. At a public meeting I was given the honour of speaking first, even before the then mayor Janet, then councillor Norm, now councillors Jamie and Victor, and a dozen or so other parents and concerned citizens. I made the point that contrary to the report of the consultants, it was not Mountain Grove but Sharbot Lake that was bleeding new student enrolment. I suggested that if a new school were to be built, perhaps it should be built in Mountain Grove. After all it is geographically central to the township with ample public land to build a new school.

Then Education Minister Leona Dombrowski allowed some flexibility and our school was saved. We were assured that money would be put towards upgrading Land O' Lakes, and that would assure the survival of our school. The devil's deal was that we remained silent as the new GREC school was built in Sharbot Lake. We accepted the fiction that in a township with a relatively even population distribution, the sleepy retirement community at the far eastern edge of the township was closer to most children. We remained quiet even as that ugly monstrosity was built on a piece of land that was too small, too close to the water, not in conformance with development by-laws. Not even a comment on the rumours that the land is a swampy sinkhole and the new school's windows are already cracking.

Now it appears that the newly built GREC JK-8 will be at 65% capacity next year and 52% by 2025. Apparently, the only way to save that school is to close the school in Mountain Grove, and bus kindergarteners an hour or so to their ugly new school. For those in Mountain Grove and Arden, don't expect a replay of what happened last time. The history of the township is that all good things go to Sharbot Lake. They have their new school and they'll fight hard to keep it. We must do the same.