Community members and parents of students at elementary schools in Markdale and Paisley are celebrating a potential small victory.
A Bluewater District School Board Final Staff Report recommends keeping Markdale's Beavercrest Community School and Paisley Central School open until at least 2018.
Board Communications Officer Jamie Pettit says recent proposals from community members, businesses and municipalities were effective.
"We've had some excellent proposals that have come through the community and local business, Chapman's Ice Cream, and the Municipality of Grey Highlands," says Pettit. "The board is recommending that we look at those opportunities and investigate those, prior to making a final decision for closure on the school in the area."
The final staff report recommends scheduling Beavercrest and Paisley Central for closure on June 30 of next year, provided accommodation for students and sufficient funding are not in place by March 31, 2018.
"We would certainly hope that this would be received in a positive way; I mean it's something that I think a lot of the community members have asked for - to at least delay for the time being until some further considerations are looked at," Pettit says.
The Board of Trustees will make the final decision on Tuesday, April 18.
