Presentation
by Mayor Gord McKay, Midland
To
ARC Special Board Meeting, Tuesday, April 29th
Concerning
Public High School Configuration for North Simcoe
An
ARC process is an exceedingly difficult experience for any community or group of
communities. It forces citizens to
confront the cold reality of change for a matter that we all hold very close –
the education of our children.
Change
is never easy. Change that causes
immediate upset and is unlikely to show benefits for many years is even more
problematic. On top of that, the change contemplated by this ARC process pits
the high school in one town against the other.
It is no wonder our communities want to stop the ARC process. But the
situation demands that we must continue and bring it to conclusion.
The Compelling Need
for Change
So
why must we change?
When
I first came to Midland, many of the old timers told me that Midland and Penetanguishene
would never cooperate on anything. Wasn’t in their blood. Then is 2010, with
some new leadership, the municipalities recognized that things had changed
around them – that they had to cooperate or face an increasing bleak economic
future. We looked at joint policing (unsuccessfully), sharing sewer and water
services, and most successfully economic development. Over four years the four communities have
built a progressive economic partnership that has attracted the attention of
the province and many other municipalities. So yes we can change.
Why
the need to change our public high-schools?
The
School Board has made us aware that our local high school environment has
changed significantly:
- The two high-schools
are both significantly under capacity. Given feeder school projections, that
situation will remain for at least a decade
- Both high schools
require significant capital investments. There is insufficient funding for both
schools
- The Board has funding
for improved education. A funding
request for the status quo – that is paying for two sub-optimal schools – will
move that request well down the priority list
- Small poorly funded
rural schools are increasingly unlikely to attract quality teachers and programming.
And with that our area will not be able to attract families who are
increasingly selective about the school they choose for their children.
Yes,
there is a compelling need for change.
Advantages of Change
– One Area High School
I
believe that North Simcoe will be best served by one area public high-school,
built to accommodate the educational needs of the modern student.
My
belief is founded upon the central purpose of our educators; our trustees; and
our School Board – to deliver the best educational outcomes for our children. Those
best educational outcomes will be achieved through a modern scale-appropriate
school that has the range of programming and activities needed to fully meet
the needs of the modern student.
The
other supportive arguments, and there are many, are secondary to this;
- That the one
high-school model is the one most likely to be funded
- That modern families are
most attracted to modern schooling – both for breadth of programming and
facilities
- That we will finally
have a facility that breaks the status quo and stops the bleeding of students
to other area and non-area schools
The
one school model delivers many benefits, and above all the most important one –
providing our children with the best in quality modern education.
Perceived Problems
with Change
Are
there drawbacks with the one-area-school approach? Absolutely. Otherwise we would have settled the question
some time ago.
Closing
a school raises the perception that a community loses. It is the loss an
educational asset; it strikes at community spirit; and it diminishes economic
development. It causes people to question whether their town is growing or
falling back. All understandable concerns.
These
concerns parallel those of the four North Simcoe municipalities when they set
out to build their economic partnership. Local leadership recognized that our future
lay in coming together for common purpose, not in clinging to a service model that
divided us. We had to give up the historical notion that each community had to
have their own. And we did so - we put aside the mindset of four separate
development offices because we profoundly understood that we would all gain
more by coming together – by sharing a common vision and pooling our resources
and energies. That same argument applies just as strongly to the challenge
before us – the education of our children.
And
while many of my comments seem to have been directed to Midland and
Penetanguishene they apply to the entire catchment area. They embrace the common educational vision we
must all share in Tiny, Tay, Christian Island as well as Penetanguishene and
Midland.
What will be Preserved
of the Status Quo
So
what we get out of this is the best educational outcome for our children.
Something we have always valued and will continue to value. We will have our
own area school that represents all of us, our combined community – something that
we all own collectively and equally. And as a side-bar we can turn our collective
attention to working on related concerns that all communities want to resolve such
as transit for students among the communities or pursuing improved educational funding
with a louder combined voice.
Summary
For
me the bottom line is education – what best prepares our children for the
future? What decision can we make today
that will have parents choose to educate their children in our area as opposed
to moving to Barrie?
Our
one new school must deliver the best in modern education and seamlessly serve
the entire catchment area - Tiny, Tay, Christian Island, Penetanguishene and
Midland. Our two schools must become one.
So
in summary, I recommend:
-
That
the one area high-school solution be adopted
-
That
available funds be used to construct a new school, or failing that to
extensively refurbish the existing school
-
That
the school represent the entire area and be named accordingly
-
That
the school be located in Midland due to its central position in the area and
access to school related infrastructure
-
That
the School Board strengthen the integrative role of the school by helping fund
improvements to after-hours transportation for students to all areas, allowing
students to fully participate in all the school has to offer. Extending Midland
transit to link to Penetanguishene should be considered
-
That
the school Board provide budget/staff to assist with the conversion of surplus
high school real estate to other useful purposes
-
And
finally, bring the ongoing North Simcoe ARC process to an end – make a decision
Thank
you.
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