After extensive research and analysis, members of Stratford’s accommodation review committee came to the conclusion that a second dual track school was the best fit for Stratford families, and we can’t argue with their reasoning.
It would seem foolish for a child who lives within minutes of a school to be bused further away to receive an English-based education. By the same token, a family with a child in French immersion assumes the realities that come with an elective program, like their child having to be bused.
Of course, not everyone will be happy with the committee’s decision, and it is unfortunate the two schools recommended as potential dual track sites – Avon and Anne Hathaway – were the two schools without representation on the committee.
Some parents from those schools will feel the process was unfair, and they have a point. As was pointed out after last week’s meeting by committee member Steve Wells, “We’re not balancing (enrollment in) four schools. We’re balancing all schools in Stratford.”
Though the school board was reluctant to consider Avon or Anne Hathaway as potential suitors for French immersion, any boundary changes that result from this review will affect those schools just like they will the other schools representated on the committee.
The board had every right to leave Avon and Anne Hathaway off the committee. By rule, a school must be part only if more than 50 per cent of students would be impacted. There was also some concern that too many voices around the table might unnecessarily complicate and weigh down the discussion.
Still, Avon and Anne Hathaway should have been part of the discussion formally.
Those parents, however, can’t complain about not being given a chance to voice their opinions and concerns. Each meeting was open to delegations, yet surprisingly, only once did representatives from the schools take advantage of the opportunity.
Wells even indicated some committee members likely construed the lack of public outcry as a sign the schools might not oppose going the dual track route.
But, if that assumption is incorrect and there is discontent amongst Avon and Anne Hathaway families, it is not too late to join the discussion. A special board meeting in Stratford regarding the accommodation review is coming up March 29 and delegations are welcome at any of the board’s regular meetings in Seaforth.
School trustees need as much information as possible before voting on this issue in May. By then they will have heard from the committee and the school board’s staff, who are likely to push for a single French school. If you’ve got something to say, make sure they have also heard from you.
