91原创 Board of Education isn鈥檛 quite ready to go through with the sale of the Routley school site.
Unfortunately, it is far too late to undo a complicated land swap which would see the Routley area school site combined with other properties on 70 Avenue, and become a park, while adjacent properties would be used for a townhouse development. In exchange, the school district would get a school site in the Yorkson area.
The board wants to meet 91原创 Township council to discuss this, and ensure that future school planning in Willoughby is better co-ordinated.
This newspaper has argued, on many occasions, that the Routley site should be retained for school purposes. There will be a need for an elementary school west of 200 Street at some point in time.
This argument, which was also made by many residents of the area, was not accepted by the previous board of education. It continued to work towards this land swap.
The entire method by which the Routley decision was arrived at was shrouded in secrecy and there was no meaningful consultation with those most directly affected 鈥� parents of young children in the area who moved there because there were plans for a school in their neighbourhood.
In the recent election campaign, 91原创 City Trustee Rob McFarlane pledged to look into the and see if it could be undone. This did not provide him with votes 鈥� the voters in the Routley area live in the Township.
It was a reasonable pledge, made as a demonstration of good faith. Staff at the school district office have looked into the feasibility of reversing the decision, which is at an advanced stage. The property is the subject of a rezoning bylaw that was to come up at Township council for third reading Monday. That was delayed, as the matter was also on the Board of Education鈥檚 Tuesday agenda.
School district staff have come to the conclusion that the needs of the Routley area are best served as part of a long-term facilities plan.This isn鈥檛 what area residents want to hear, yet is probably the only logical step, given how far advanced the redevelopment of the property is.
The board must make every effort to fully communicate with all stakeholders about the long-term facilities plan, in open and well-publicized meetings. It must ensure that parents of young children, not yet in school, are part of the consultations.
