Kelly Greene, a parent from Diefenbaker elementary school, has organized a public rally at Hugh Boyd secondary school this Thursday at 6 p.m. to draw attention to what she and others are calling “the unreasonable mandate” of forcing school districts to reach 95 per cent capacity in order to receive seismic upgrades.
Richmond School District is facing up to five school closures in September 2017 so that it can meet the threshold.
“We feel it is just plain wrong to hold the safety, the lives, of children as collateral to force cuts to education. The school board is now forced into the highly unenviable position of closing schools (which are well attended, such as Diefenbaker), or letting children sit in schools with major structural deficiencies with regards to earthquakes,” Greene told the News via email.
The rally will be held for 30 minutes, prior to the last “long-range facilities plan” open house on school closures, scheduled at Boyd for 6:30 p.m.
At the open house district staff and trustees will be able to answer questions parents or the general public have regarding the proposed closures.
Only Richmond and Vancouver have reported lower enrolment numbers for next year in Metro Vancouver.
In addition to looming school closures the district is faced with $4.2 million in budget cuts.
