Regina Street Public School parents begin fight against proposed closure

Parents of students at Regina Street Public School proudly displayed their school spirit in matching T-shirts Wednesday night as they began their fight against its proposedclosure duringtheOttawa Carleton District School Board's committeeof the whole meeting.

Regina Street Public School is one ofeight schools recommended for closure byOCDSBstaffin reports tabled during Wednesday's meeting.

"We all want to keep our school open," said Heather Amundrud, who presented to the board's trustees.

"It's just making our opinions known and hopefully the school board and the school board trustees will listen to us."

The reports recommend closing seven elementary and middle schools in Ottawa's west end, and shuttering one east-end high school.

• Regina Street Public School
• D. Aubrey Moodie Intermediate School
• Greenbank Middle School
• Leslie Park Public School
• Grant Alternative School
• CenturyPublic School
• J.H. Putman Public School
• Rideau High School

Parents at Regina Street Public School emphasized the school's walkability, proximity to Mud Lake and welcoming environment for newcomers, as they tried to convince trustees to rethink the recommendation.

Parents want catchment area expanded

"It is a very good school, and children learn thereand parents learn there how to be part of the communityand how to be integrated," said Dr.Enas Hosny, who just moved to Canada from the United Arab Emirates last year.

With two children in school, Hosnytold trustees that enrolment could be increased if the board expands the school's catchment area to take in students who currently attendthe fullWoodroffe Avenue Public School.

Last year Regina Streetwas more than 50 percent empty,with only 146 students, according to the OCDSB report.

Half empty schools are a major consideration in these reviews because the province will no longer providetop-up funding in schools with low enrolment, according to Shirley Seward, chair of the board of trustees at OCDSB.

"We are going to have less money if we do nothing," said Seward.

"It means we will have to cut other programs and services for children, we will have to lay off more people and we don't want to do that," she said.

Community input encouraged

The committeerecommended the approval of the report on west end schools and will meet again tonight to continue discussions on the report on east end schools but Seward said input from the community is still welcomed and stressed the review is only just beginning.

Public meetings will be held in both the western area and the eastern secondary area before any final decisions are made.Those decisions are expected in March 2017.

A third review for schools in Alta Vista, Hunt Club and Beacon Hill is set to begin in April, with final decisions by December 2017.

"I think it's very important that they speak their mind and they tell us why they are concerned about particular things," said Seward about community members.

"There could be another way of doing things, there could be a better way of doing things," she said.