Public Mtgs on Proposed School Closures start Tues

The Board of Education for School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) will start the public process will could lead to 5 schools in Williams Lake/100 Mile House being closed to save money

The first set of meetings in Williams Lake/100 Mile House are as follows:

Oct 2nd - Williams Lake.  6:30pm in the WL Secondary School Gym
Oct 4th - 100 Mile House.  6:30pm in 100 Mile Jr Secondary Gym

Future meetings:

Oct 16th (Alexis Creek at 7:00pm, Alexis Creek School) - Workshop/Out of the Box Think-Tank
Oct 23rd (100 Mile at 6:30pm - PSO Gym) - Out of the Box Think-Tank
Oct 25th (Williams Lake at 6:30pm - Columneetza Secondary Gym) - Out of the Box Think-Tank

Nov 6th at Glendale Elementary - 6:30pm to discuss school closure
Nov 8th at 100 Mile Jr Secondary - 6:30pm to discuss school closure
Nov 20th at Kwaleen Elementary - 6:30pm to discuss school closure
Nov 22nd at Buffalo Crk Elementary - 6:30pm to discuss school closure
Nov 29th at Wildwood Elementary - 6:30pm to discuss school closure

Whether or not you have kids at these schools - get out and tell the Trustees of School District #27 how you feel but locals I've talked with feel this is a "fait accompli" and the Board all but has its' mind made up to fit its' fiscal priorities of today... and if it means shutting down 5 schools to balance its' books, so be it.  But a better process would have been to describe the fiscal challenge to School District #27 and ask the public how they thought those challenges could be solved with or without school closures.  I personally wonder how come the Board doesn't pursue the option of increased school taxes as an option... certainly, if enough parents said "if necessary, I would agree to pay a dollar or two more in school taxes to give my child(ren) a better education", then the Trustees could use that as leverage to get the necessary taxing authority from Victoria

Finally - watch for Charlie Wyse and the local BC NDP to make political hay over this item should the Board of Education for School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) shut down all 5 schools in Williams Lake/100 Mile as proposed, arguing that the BC Liberals have short-changed Rural BC for public education and certainly could make Donna Barnett and her campaign team's re-election just that much harder, given the HST will pose a major challenge to getting MLA Barnett a 2nd term in provincial politics

SBF