Bob Bruton, senior reporter at the Barrie Examiner, made a clear request today to voters: pay attention to the candidates for public school board trustee, and support those who are commited to saving Barrie Central and have a plan to do so.
If you agree with Bob, then I am your choice for Area 1. I am committed to saving Barrie Central, and beyond that, to changing the direction of the board which has seen a series of closures of older schools and seems headed further down that same road, with Barrie North and Eastview the next targets.
Of course, this is not something that one trustee, or even three Barrie trustees, can accomplish alone. It will take a wide range of partnerships. The opportunities are there, but our Board and our current Area 1 trustee are not taking full advantage of them. This is, in fact, why I am seeking election as your Area 1 representative. My first goal will be to form strategic alliances with other voting trustees, and follow-up on the many ideas and opportunities which have been pouring in from the wider community.
The City of Barrie has clearly expressed interest and even commitment to helping keep our downtown schools open - first Prince of Wales, and more recently Barrie Central. We are in an election now, and many of the candidates who will form the next council have reiterated those same promises of support. So that potential partnership is already primed, just waiting for the Board to respond.
Our MP Patrick Brown has repeatedly expressed willingness to help with whatever federal funding or initiatives he can find. Last week he phoned me personally to express willingness to work with me to save Central.
Our MPP Aileen Carroll has gone on record that she will support whatever capital priorities the Board establishes. However, that will depend on what the current trustees decide (which is beyond my influence), and what those elected next week follow up with.
There have also been many expressions of interest from businesses, social agencies, and other organizations in possible partnerships, but the Board has yet to explore these fully.
Barrie is a swing riding provincially, and with a provincial election next year there is a great opportunity for Barrie voters to put pressure on the McGuinty government to provide needed funding. However, that will require outreach to the public. For the past year, I have already been working to keep this issue in the public eye through my Root Issues column at the Barrie Examiner. Our previous elected Trustee, the late Mary Anne Wilson, was also very vocal on this issue. We need a Trustee who will follow in her footsteps.
There is also the serious issue of the conflicting statements about their intention for Barrie Central that have come from the board. Because our current trustees do not seem to have acted to clarify this issue, I have filed official requests to try and bring the facts to light. As your Trustee I will ensure that decisions about Barrie Central (and other schools) are always transparent.
Finally, I will ensure that our schools are no longer unfairly starved of funds for upkeep and repair. Over the past 6 years, the amount of funding provided to each of Barrie's 5 high schools tells a damning story. Since 2005, here is how much has been spent at each secondary school on refit or upgrade projects: Innisdale $1.6 million, Barrie North $3.3 million, Bear Creek $6.2 million, and Eastview $7.2 million! How much was spent in this period at Barrie Central? Less than one million dollars. (Figures available here, under the "Value to the Board" section).
Although the train seems to be racing down the track towards closing Central, the final decision rests with the Board. Opportunities exist to save BCC and prevent the extra strain that will fall on Barrie's other high schools (espeically North and Eastview) if it closes. I will work hard to help the Board capitalize on those opportunities and follow the community's clearly expressed desire to preserve and maintain, rather than close, our excellent schools.
