ARC Nemesis
Clearview is joining the Town of Penetanguishene and other municipalities to voice its dissatisfaction with a system that determines whether small and rural schools stay open.
At its last meeting on July 14, Council voted to support Penetaguishene’s call for “clear and direct communication” with the province about the Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) process.
Ontario school boards conduct Accommodation Reviews to address issues of enrollment, the ability to deliver programming or facility conditions at specific schools.
The reviews are conducted with members of the public including parents or guardians, teachers, principals, and municipal and business representatives. These people form a volunteer committee that makes recommendations to the regional school board.
A resolution passed at Penetanguishene’s June 25 Council meeting states that “there is a lack of public trust in the review process because school boards are not held accountable for the ARC’s recommendations.”
It also blames the provincial government for not directly consulting or communicating with small town rural municipalities that are serviced by the school boards about the closures.
By giving Penetanguishene its support, Clearview will join other Ontario municipalities that are requesting a moratorium on all school closures until the provincial government completes reviews of the schools.
Penetanguishene Mayor Gerry Marshall said the Small and Rural School Alliance will request meetings with Minister of Education Liz Sandals and Minister of Rural Affairs Jeff Leal at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference next month.
In Clearview, Ward 4 Councillor Thom Paterson forwarded the motion to support Penetaguishene’s initiative. It was seconded by Shawn Davidson, who represents Ward 7.
Only Deputy Mayor Alicia Savage voted against the motion. She pointed out the existence of the Community Schools Alliance, whose mandate is to communicate concerns about the ARC process to the provincial government.
“There is a Community Schools Alliance that came about as a result of rural school closures,” Savage told Council. “I hesitate to support this because I don’t want to duplicate.”
The Community Schools Alliance formed in 2009 to address concerns about ARC that municipalities felt school boards had disregarded, explained Doug Reycraft, Chair of the Community Schools Alliance and Southwest Middlesex Mayor.
“We need to change the process,” said Reycraft. “We need to move away from the continuing dictatorship of school administrators.”
He said that although his group has not been active in the last 16 months, it could revive or even join the new alliance.
“The goals and objectives of the proposed alliance are similar to the Community Schools Alliance,” said Reycraft. He told the Echo he would be participating in a conference call with the new Rural and Small School Alliance to discuss the mandates of both groups.
Last month, Penetaguishene sent Premier Kathleen Wynne a copy of its resolution to form the new alliance.
These days, small and rural areas face the challenges of school closures in their communities, due to declining enrollment.
Recently, the Simcoe County District School Board conducted an accommodation review that led to the closure of Duntroon Central Public School in 2012.
