By Chad Paulin
Bells may be ringing for students at McNabb Park Public School for at least one more year.
With a meeting to vote on closing the school scheduled for Feb. 22, the public school board’s chair said he will forward a motion to keep the school open until the year 2000.
“We should put McNabb on the second phase list and do a proper review,” Albert Chambers, chair of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, told a board meeting this week. “We have to make sure that we’re doing all we can so that the puzzle pieces fit for the central part of Ottawa.
“I want to see the best schools and the best programs in place to serve the needs of Centretown.”
Chambers announced he’d propose the motion after parents, teachers and local politicians begged the board to reject a staff proposal which would close the school in September.
While nine other area schools could close this year, the motion would delay any decision on McNabb until next year when more closures are expected.
Annie Deutsch, chair of the school’s parents’ council, said Chambers’ move could be good news for the school.
“It would give us more time to mobilize and find other plans of action to save our school,” she said. “It’ll give us a chance to get more information to parents and get them involved.”
However, there’s no guarantee the board will adopt the motion. If the motion fails, the school will close; but that could mean even more decisions for the board.
A 33-year-old contract between the now-defunct Ottawa Board of Education and the City of Ottawa forced the board to split operation and maintenance costs — such as heating and electricity — for the joint-use McNabb school and community centre. After last year’s school board amalgamation, the new board became party to the contract.
Somerset city Coun. Elisabeth Arnold said the city won’t let the board out of the pact, which has 20 years remaining. She said the board would still have to spend taxpayers’ money on the school whether they keep it open or not.
“It’s the position of our council to pursue the enforcement of this agreement,” she told the board. She added closing the school would not only hurt the centre but also contribute to “inner-city decay” as new families would be reluctant to move to an area without a school.
Deutsch said a survey by her council shows many parents are reluctant to send their children to Centennial Public School should McNabb close.
While Centennial is the board’s choice, Deutsch said a recent survey shows most parents would rather move or send their children to other schools.
With 48 of 62 local parents responding to the survey, almost half said they would send their children to a Catholic-board school or move closer to another school.
But should the board vote to close the school, Deutsch said the council would work to overturn the decision. She said the survey’s results, combined with the city-board pact, could help them convince the board to change its mind.
“I think everyone would be willing to put up the fight,” she said. “There’s always a small chance someone will listen to us.”
Education Minister Dave Johnson has also promised a review of area school closures.
Meanwhile, Delia Barkley, a parent of two children enrolled at McNabb, said the school must be saved because she likes her children being able to walk to school.
“My children see their friends from school in the park,” she added. “It’s all an integral part of the neighbourhood.”
What’s more, she said she’s optimistic the school will be saved at Monday’s meeting.
“I’ve already filled out my (third child’s) registration form for next year at McNabb.”
—with files from Stephanie Coombs