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4- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday June 7, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com MASS PUBLIC SCHOOL CLOSURE POSSIBLE IN SOUTH EAST OAKVILLE WITHOUT YOUR HELP Senior members of the Halton District School Board are considering building a JK to Grade 8 BIG BOX School in Clearview This decision will result in mass school closures in SE Oakville. Our schools will be sold to developers to fund this BIG BOX school School Trustees decide the future of SE Oakville Schools on June 18th WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR COMMUNITY? _ · Loss of our community schools with Brantwood, Chisholm, EJ James, Linbrook, Maple Grove and New Central all possible targets for closure _ · Loss of our community schools that have consistently delivered academic excellence and currently have the capacity for all children in Ward 3 _ · Loss of our middle school which provides exemplary education and focused programming for grade 6-8 students _ · Loss of green space and playgrounds for our children as school properties are sold _ · Reduction in our property values ­ families prefer neighbourhoods with schools _ · Increased Bus traffic instead of children walking and biking to school _ · Increased traffic congestion on Lakeshore, Ford Drive, Trafalgar, and Cornwall _ · Diversion of our tax dollars to build a new school outside of our community ·HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP · 1. Call and email: Wayne Joudrie, Director of Education - Tel 905-335-3663, email: joudriew@hdsb.ca Phillipa Ellis, Ward 3 School Trustee -Tel (905) 842-0137 email: ellisp@hdsb.ca All Halton School Board Trustees (visit www.hdsb.ca, >> Boardroom & Truestees >> Trustees) Kevin Flynn, MPP, Ward 3 - Tel: 905-827-5141 email: kflynn.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org Tell them: _· Not to close our existing community schools to fund a new school in a no growth area with a declining student population _· Invest in the existing Ward 3 schools, which the Board has neglected for years with threats of closure. _· it is fiscally irresponsible to spend millions of dollars to build a new school when existing schools have the capacity for all children in Ward 3 · · 2. Sign the petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/SaveOurLocalSchools/ 3. Donate to the trust fund being established to legally protect our existing community schools; email oakville.residents@gmail.com for more information ACT NOW - SAY NO TO CLOSING OUR SCHOOLS For more information visit: www.myoakville.org