The Ontario Alliance Against School Closures (OAASC) has renewed calls to the provincial government for a moratorium on school closures and a revamp of the Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline.
Speaking on behalf of the Lambton County Township of Dawn-Euphemia at the Minister of Finance's pre-budget consultations in London on Friday, the OAASC argued the cost of closing schools is higher than keeping them open.
"Over a 15-year duration, the transportation grant has risen an average of $17.9-million annually," said Susan MacKenzie, co-founder of the OAASC. "The upcoming proposed school closures will trigger rapid escalation in transportation needs and costs, especially in rural Ontario."
The OAASC estimates the grant, which covered the increased cost of busing rural students to schools outside of their community, will soon balloon to $1-billion. The group maintains that money would be better spent on keeping rural schools open. In addition to the expense, MacKenzie pointed out busing kids for an extended period of time everyday negatively effects them.
"You're looking at what time they have to get up, what time they have to get on the bus, sometimes 6:30am in the morning, then they have their time on the bus. So by the time they get to school they are hungry and tired again, especially elementary students," said MacKenzie. "The ride back home they are missing out on so many after school activities, family time, play time, homework time. They are filling up their day with travelling."
MacKenzie also outlined flaws with other grants including the school foundation grant, which offers funds to combined schools made up of both elementary and secondary students. She then suggested that the Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline used by school boards contemplating school closures was revised by the government to bypass consideration of the value of a school to its community.
"For the rural education part of it I would say they require a different funding formula," said MacKenzie. "They could even look at the municipal allocation where the municipalities and the townships manage their schools, they all have trustees and councillors who can do the work. All the infrastructure is in place for that. They know local education the best in rural Ontario. Urban settings it's a little bit different because there is usually a school within three or four kilometer radius but in rural Ontario it's not like that."
The only questions from the consultation panel following MacKenzie's presentation came from London-West MPP Peggy Sattler (NDP), who served as a school board trustee for 13 years. Sattler asked what steps the OAASC would take to review the Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline.
"I am glad that she is taking an interest and we will hopefully meet with her next month before she returns to caucus," said MacKenzie.
Toby Barrett, a longtime conservative MPP in Haldimand Norfolk, approached MacKenzie after her presentation to offer his assistance in her fight to keep rural schools open.
"We haven't had any support from the Liberals at all," said MacKenzie. "There is a lot of dancing around going on at Queen's Park. They are totally avoiding the issue."
The OAASC has previously held rallies at Queen's Park in Toronto and sent an open letter to Education Minister Mitzie Hunter to voice concerns over the possibility that school boards across the province are considering the closure of dozens of schools.
