Trustee left in tears over Rideau High School closure

School board trustees have recommended closingRideau High School in east Ottawa after an emotional two days of delegations and debate.

• Closing Rideau High School a 'travesty,' trustees told

Speaking through tears, trustee Sandra Schwartzsaid it's a hard choice, but theright choice.

We all have difficulty with this decision.- Sandra Schwartz, trustee

"We all have difficulty with this decision," said Schwartz. "I've lived in Ottawa east most of my life ... It is hard to see the community torn apart by decisions like this."

However, Schwartz said it's in the best interest of students to shut down the school, and move its 400 students to thebigger GloucesterHigh School sixkilometres away. Both are operating at 40 per cent capacity.

Trustees who voted in favour of the schools mergingargued it would provide Rideau High students with a better education including a larger selection ofcourses, sports teams,arts programs and other extracurricular activities.

"In my heart, I believe we've done an injustice to the students in this area for thelast many years, by not giving them those choices because of small schools and declining enrolment," said Schwartz.

'The heart of the community'

For community members fighting to save Rideau High, last night's vote was a "travesty."

Barb Darling saidshe acted as a voice for parents who couldn't attend the meetings because of work or fear of speaking up.Many are Indigenous, Syrian refugees or low-income parents who work more than one jobto support their children, she said.

"It's a loss of the heart of the community," said Darling. "It will take a long time, if ever, to recover that."

This is the second time in the past decade that Rideau High has been on the chopping block.

Rob Campbell is a former trustee who attended similarmeetings back then, and voiced his concerns again yesterday to keep the school open. But now he fearsit's too late.

"[I feel] asense of disappointment but also regret," said Campbell. "I wonder when I was in place, and colleagues of mine were in place, if we couldn't have done more,kept our foot on the pedal more?"

Campbell sees both sides of the argumentbut is concerned this closure could set a precedent and signify more of what's to come.

"I do worry it means that the board will have indicated it doesn't know how to handle situations of declining enrolment in critically vulnerable neighbourhoods, and in a sense we will have given up too early," Campbell said.

Free buses to be offered

Trustees spent much of the night reworking amendments to soften the blow for Rideau High students.

Motions were passed to provide free transportation to make it easier for students to bus to their new school, whichcould mean being given free Presto cards.

As well, staff should start working immediately on setting up a culturally friendly space at Gloucester High for Indigenous students,comparable to the lodge at RideauHigh.

"I have no doubt in my mind the proposed changes will have an immediate and significant academic benefit for students...," Schwartz told trustees.

"I am confident this recommended approach will result in a school that is stronger and better as a result."

Rideau High School is the seventh school trustees recommended to close down at meetings this week.

The board will make its final decision on the school closures in March.