Parkview and Mountain parents fear for the future

School hasnt always been easy for Matthew Berka.

He went to three different elementary schools, including one where his only friend was his cousin. He doesnt transition well each new school brings anxiety, and the possibility of fleeing and hiding when things get tough.

All of that improved in September, when the 14-year-old ninth grader arrivedat Parkview Secondary.

There are a lot of people that have a hard time reading and writing, said Matthew, who has a learning disability. I personally like it because its nice to know Im not alone and Im not always different.

This disparity is front of mind for many parents with kids at Parkview and Mountain, the citys two high schools for students with special needs. Both schools will close by 2016 after a sprawling city-wide review that saw Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board trustees vote last May to close eight high schools.

Matthew will go from a school of 233 to a new north school of 1,250, comprised of students from Sir John A. Macdonald, Delta and Parkview. Trustees will vote Oct. 21 on where to put the new high school, and whether that will involve Parkview students such as Matthew transferring twice in as many years.

Matthews mom, Tracy, worries hell be bullied. She worries about whether hell have the same support, and how hell deal with one possibly two transitions.

Matthews transition here was probably the best transition hes had in his school life, she said. If theres not a place where he can get a quiet space, hes been known to leave the class. Hes been known to hide in the bathroom. In a school like Delta, where are they going to find him?

Right now, Parkview students face two possible futures. One is that the school will close in 2016 and they'llmove to a new school at Scott Park. That would require the board expropriating a small parcel of land that holds a former high school, and building a school that's five stories tall. An expropriation hearing was held over Scott Park earlier this month. If the board builds there, it will use theParkview and King George land for parking and green space.

The other option is to locate the new school on the Parkview and King George land. If that happens, Parkview students will spend the next school year at Delta, then move on to the new high school the following year. This is the least desirable option for Berka and her fellow Parkview parents.

Students feel equal at Mountain and Parkview

We knew it was possible that (Parkview) would close at the end of Grade 10, said Berka, whose son takes a bus from Stoney Creek every day. We thought two years in this environment would do him some good.

But with the latter option, thats a lot of transition for children who dont transition well.

Christine Bingham, whose son goes to Parkview, shares those concerns. Shes trying to rally Parkview parents against the two-transition option.

If she had her choice, she said, the school wouldnt be closing at all. Delta and Sir John A. are rough schools, she said. Putting all three populations together will be a total and complete disaster."

The more I get to talk to parents and students, the more my heart just breaks for them, she said. The students themselves just keep saying to their mothers and their fathers that they want to stay here. They feel equal.

Decisions driven by 'the almighty dollar'

Several Mountain parents feel the same way, said Stephen Dungavel, a member of the parent council. Mountain has 152 students this year. In September 2016, its students will attend a new 1,000-student school southeast of the Lincoln Alexander Parkway that incorporates students from Barton and Hill Park. The board is still negotiating for land.

Dungavel said since his son entered Mountain in Grade 9, hes become more mature and confident under the watchful eye of the school'sdedicated staff. Now hehopes to go to Mohawk College to become a diesel mechanic.

Dungavel attended the boards public meetings about the future of Mountain. He voiced his concerns. But the almighty dollar seems to mean more than anything else, he said.

Students with special needs will have as much support in their new schools as they do now, said Peter Joshua, a HWDSB superintendent.

Theres absolutely an assurance that we will preserve those programs and supports, Joshua said. As the students transition, we need to honour what is working very well for them.

More course options at larger schools

Students who need small classes will still have them, he said. And those who need individual help will still get it.

By attending a larger school, students will have access to even more course optionsand programs, Joshua said. In the end, it will be better for the student.

I really believe that, he said.

The board is assembling advisory committees with students, parents and other voices, he said. The transition plan will include a peer-to-peer program called Best Buddies, where older students are matched with newer ones.

That will certainly help us address in a positive way the issue of anti-bullying, he said.

Diverse schools 'reflect the real world'

There is a trend away from schools for students with special needs, said Sheila Bennett, an expert in special education policy atBrock University.

When students with special needs graduate, she said, they go into a diverse world.With the larger schools, the environment will reflect the real world better."

For example, some students with special needs may have trouble navigating hallways, she said.

But if we cant help them learn how to do that with supports and strategies, with a trained professional in a controlled environment when theyre 16, how will they ever go to a movie when theyre 35?

Special needs are so varied, Bennett said, that students in classes devoted to those with special needs could have as little in common with their peers as they would in a mainstream classroom.

'Everybody has a broken heart'

Research also shows that children who are segregated are bullied more, Bennett said.

Transitions are difficult for anyone, but that doesnt require us not to transition them, she said. What it requires is for us to take extra care and provide more support when we transition them.

Bingham plans to keep fighting the plan that would see Parkview students moved twice. Shes still upset that the school is closing at all.

Im furious at a lot of things, she said. Everybody has a broken heart but no one does anything about it.

Were still sending letters. I dont give up easy. I dont open the can of worms, but I will kick it over and make sure the issues are dealt with.