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"Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - n Watchdog group lobbies to save small schools from extinction By Rik Davie Port Perry Star There is a move afoot by school boards across the province that could see the extinction of small rural schools, says an education watchdog group. Local residents involved in a battle with the Durham District School Board over the survival of tiny Epsom Public School are discovering that they are not alone in their battle to save rural style, small population schools. A report which was released two weeks ago by the provincial education watchdog and lobby group, People for Education, makes a strong argument for the retention of small population schools not only in rural areas, but across the province. Small schools are defined as facilities which have a student population of less than 200 and are affected by staffing formulas as a result, according to the education group. Craig Burch, Superintendent for Education for Scugog at the Durham District School Board, told The Star that there is no set figure, only an optimum size for elemen- tary schools, "that is about three to 400 students to max- imize funding." In the report it states that 97 per cent of all school clo- sures in Ontario last year involved small population schools. It also states plainly that the closing of small schools rests not on the heads of local boards, but on the provin- cial funding formula set by the Ministry of Education and the formula by which boards across the province must live. Annie Kidder is a spokesperson for People for Education. "The funding formula doesn't work for nearly three- quarters of the schools in Ontario," Ms. Kidder said. "It is a fact that it costs more to run a small school. Boards are not being misleading when they tell parents that. This is a problem with its root at the provincial level to which boards are reacting," Ms. Kidder said. The education group states in its report that small schools are proven to have a larger graduation rate in post-secondary life and that student success at small schools is higher and parental participation in school life is higher. "But the province has instituted a funding formula that is forcing boards to find savings in areas like small schools because they are not as financially efficient as larger schools," Ms. Kidder said. "Parents have to join with groups like PFE and with their boards to take the message to the province that we are making gains for some students at the cost of other students." Ms. Kidder was clear that in cases where trustees tell parents that they will not close a school as a result of parental pressures on the board they are not being fair, or entirely truthful, with parents. "If a trustee says to, parents, we'll fix it by just not wr 2rtaat ese ia fori of » 14th Annual (GY 1h . SANPLER Christmas "pan 14 COSY INTL HAT NSS ANTIQUES * ART ¢ COUNTRY COLLECTIBLES ¢ CANDLES ¢ CARDS * FOLK ART | An Extensive Selection of Reproduction Country Furniture (custom orders) Located in Oakwood just 8 km west of Lindsay on #7 Hwy. (705) 953-9855 0 closing you, it is a lie. They have fixed nothing. To think that there is a simple fix such as keeping the small schools open at the cost of funds that are needed in other areas... well there is no simple fix here," Ms. Kidder said. "School boards, their parent groups and lobby groups have to band together to send a message that is simple to the government," she said. "The funding formula that is based on some mythical average school that does not exist is not working and we are losing our small schools because boards are being forced to close them." Mr. Burch said that there is no way around the fund- ing formula to make small schools more financially viable. "The facts are that at a school like Epsom student population does not allow for a secretary, but they have one; there is no gym so we bus students to Greenbank... and so we should. But there is no funding for the busing .s0 we subsidize it," Mr. Burch said. "When you ask if we subsidize, yes, | guess we have to, and we do it in the areas of staffing as well." Mr Burch said that if trustees tell staff to come up with a plan by which small schools can be kept open then "we will certainly do as they request." But, he was clear that the options for keeping schools open had already been laid out to trustees. "Every option was given to trustees and they chose to accept the draft plan and send it out to public consulta- tion. Staff does not make that decision," Mr. Burch said. People For Education can be contacted at 1-416-534- 0100 or visited on the web at www.people for educa- tion.org The Epsom parents group will be making a final plea for their school at the Dec. 3 board meeting. 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