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4- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 9, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com New school board plan fails to placate Joshua Creek parents By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Despite overcrowding at Joshua Creek Public School, parents are urging the Halton District School Board to go with the status quo, for now. Ideally, they want a new school in their neighbourhood by September 2009, they told Steven Parfeniuk who is superintendent of business for the Halton District School Board, at a public meeting week. But that doesn't jive with Parfeniuk's plan: to keep 12 portables at Joshua Creek, build five classrooms on the roof and attach four more at the side. The change will make room for 693 students, but in the meantime will relo- April 10th at the Oakville Club. Order tickets online or at the Downtown Oakville BIA office. Tickets are $75. Proceeds will be used to fund the priority needs of Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, including the purchase of vital equipment for the Maternal Child program. FASHION SHOW Gift with Purchase Fashion & beauty retailers showcase their latest spring and summer styles and products. For a complete list of participating businesses and exciting events, please visit our website. IN-STORE EVENTS WWW.OAKVILLEDOWNTOWN.COM Howard Williams.ca Bra Fi PRIMA DONNA tting Days · A pril 10, 11, 12 After 130 years, our first sale ever, is also our very last sale. Howard Williams Jewellers is Bra-fitting expert Petite to Full Figure Cups A-K GOING OUT OF BUSINESS! EVERYTHING MUST GO ­ TO THE BARE WALLS 33%­66% OFF EVERYTHING ­ NO EXCEPTIONS Original gold bullion pricing ­ no adjustment made for increased gold pricing SALE HOURS: SUNDAY 11-5, MON-WED 10-7, THURS 10-9 FRIDAY 10-7, SAT CLOSED. Chance to win a Prima Donna Bra Voted Best Lingerie Store for the last 10 years 309 Lakeshore Road East Oakville 905-815-1220 100 Bronte Road, Unit #3, Oakville 905-847-1512 South of Lakeshore Road www.goodnightgoodmorning.ca cate 140 students next year. With enrolment projected at 968 for 2012, more students could be shifted away from Joshua Creek to nearby Falgarwood or Sheridan schools in the future. The superintendent unveiled this latest solution in front of 300 parents who filled the gymnasium of the Arrowhead Road school. It is the second public meeting held to discuss the issue since Mar. 18. And even though it didn't go over well with frustrated parents, Parfeniuk said he is still recommending it to trustees at the Apr. 23 board meeting. "There is nothing I can say that will make you feel better but I will work proactively and work with the community," said Parfeniuk. He did add later that the report "is not a fait d'accompli." The ward's trustee, Bruce Jones, tried to conduct a straw poll on whether attaching nine new classrooms to the building was a good idea or not, but the suggestion prompted more questions from the crowd than a show of hands. Joshua Creek's school council cochairs Sudha Sareen and Pouneh Rahimi plan to attend the Apr. 23 meeting to make a presentation to the school board. They will also be armed with a sizeable stack of signatures from parents who also want a new school built. "The board's Band-Aid idea of shifting kids without proper data over and over again is wrong," said Rahimi. "This community needs another school." Currently, nearly 800 children attend the JK to Grade 8 school. It was built in 2005 to hold about 550. But housing development has pushed the student body beyond capacity. Sareen, Joshua Creek school council co-chair, also questions the board's ability to forecast student accommodation. They say there are 615 new homes expected to close by 2010. "The board is back-pedaling because they know they got it wrong. This quick fix is not acceptable. We all deserve a long-term solution. This creates pressure and emotional turmoil for everyone. We deserve better," said Sareen. "Not one member of this audience tonight wants an overcrowded school. As taxpayers, as a parent, as voters we demand it and our children deserve it," she added. Julia Dumanian has two children at Joshua Creek in Grades 4 and 7. They started out at Falgarwood Public School and when Joshua Creek Public School was built, they were moved to it. The current board proposal would see them shifted back to Falgarwood. "We're paying for their mistake," said Dumanian. "All we're hearing is hurry up, let's get it wrong. Is it fair to make a decision on inaccurate information or go one more year to live with status quo and get it right. I'm challenged to truly believe that the right decision has been made," she added.