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Rosslanders grapple with school issue at Sunday meeting

by Rossland Telegraph on 04 Oct 2010
in
Sunday's meeting--A. Barnes, photo
Sunday's meeting--A. Barnes, photo

On Sunday evening, a crowd of close to a hundred Rosslanders gathered together at the Miner's Hall to try to brainstorm a solution for the threats currently facing RSS. The event was hosted by the city's Neighbourhoods of Learning (NOL) group; the purpose of the evening, as explained by Ami Haworth, NOL's coordinator, was to generate new ideas around several possible options available to the Golden City.

The NOL concept is "an initiative of the Ministry of Education that outlines a vision for education in which schools and community organizations partner to create Neighbourhood Learning Centres where people can access educational and community services under one roof. Neighbourhood Learning Centre schools may include many services such as child-care programs, office space, health clinics, sports programs, seniors’ centres or family resource centres."

Attendees split into groups based around various options, including 'an independent K-12 school in Rossland'; 'K-7 in Rossland and 8-12 in Trail'; 'K-12 in a renovated RSS'; and so on.

Although the current version of School District 20's Planning for the Future document does not include any options that allow for a high school in Rossland, there are a number of options available to Rosslanders that do not involve SD 20, including but not limited to the following: forming an independent K-12 or 8-12 school, secession from SD 20 and the forming of an independent Rossland Public School District, and secession from SD 20 followed by integration with an existing school district, like #51 (Boundary) which also includes the resort community of Big White.

Those who were unable to attend Sunday's meeting are strongly encouraged to take a couple of minutes and fill out an online Community Education survey that will help the group determine the level of local support for various options.

Next Tuesday, on October 12, there will be a Stakeholder Meeting from 6:30-8:30 in the RSS Library. Organizers note that a "stakeholder is any person or community group that could be directly involved in a Neighbourhood Learning Centre". Persons or parties interested in attending that meeting are asked to please RSVP.

Comments

There's a danger here of

by Adrian Barnes on 05 Oct 2010 at about 13:13.

There's a danger her of feeling awash in 'options' on the metaphorical ' table' when in reality, there may well be only one choice open to Rosslanders: stay and lose K-12 or leave SD 20.

My own stance is, 'sure, come up with the best arguments in favour of saving RSS you can, but be prepared for rejection and have a Plan B ready'.

As somebody with a known interest in this issue, I keep getting buttonholed by people with 'great ideas' to save RSS and I have to agree: they have great ideas. But who's listening to those ideas at the Board office?

So while there are twenty ways we could reconfigure RSS and a thousand great arguments in favour of those twenty ways, what will cost us the war is not seeing that the key principle here is 'community integrity'.

I think RSS is key to Rossland's survival as a viable town. So it's Rossland's very existence that is under attack here. This is also the case in most or all small towns in North America today--the Harper/Campbell neo-liberals are rabidly anti-rural even as they draw most of their votes from the same areas they're wrecking. Go figger.

Right now, Rossland's future is in the hands of the 8/9 trustees who have no particular stake in Rossland's future. In fact, they have a voiced stake in the futures of  Trail and Castlegar!

The logical conclusion? Leave.

Even if we win this battle through some NOL funding or other deux ex machina, closure will pop up again in a few years like some noxious toadstool.

I think that if Rosslanders saw this issue as I express it here, there would be a strong will to secede. I left the meeting the other night because all I could see was a diffusion of energy into hopeful scenarios. We know all the options and they've all been discussed before--at length, years ago. There's a danger here of death by committee.

So for me it's simple: failing the assurance of a secure future for RSS within SD 20, secede. Why? Because it's our town, our kids, and our money. How about them apples?

Therefore, I propose four options in this order:

1. Stay in SD20 in return for a twenty year guarantee for K-12 (included just to be 'dreamy': insert your favourite argument here)
2. Leave and join another district (for economic efficiences)
3. Leave and create an Indepedent School District within the public system
4. Leave and go independent

This prioritized series of options gives first SD20 and then the MoE a chance to be reasonable but makes it clear that our future is our choice. And it really is.

It's a lot like the situation of Quebec in the past. By threatening secession, they obtained Constitutional protection. And they weren't just bluffing: if they hadn't obtained it, they'd have left Confederation. Raw majorities are often wrong (as with the Board in this case).

There isn't a rational principle on Earth that counters the idea that we should, if capable, be allowed to create our own School District and run it within the confines of the provincial funding formula. I'd like to see the letter of rejection the MoE would dare draft to that!

Is there the will in town to take this stance? I have to hope so. There's a lot more at stake here than 'just' a school. The world, after all, wouldn't end if RSS closed and our kids got bussed down the hill. However, the RSS issue is intrinsically connected to municipal governance (Super City, anyone?), recreation, sewage, hospitals, healthcare itself, etc.

Where's your own personal line in the sand? Mine is here.

I almost sprayed my coffee

by RCalderon on 10 Oct 2010 at about 13:25.
all over the screen. I thought you were only kidding about seceding from the "union" a la Quebec. Quebec at least had a major bargaining chip - 75 federal seats in the HoC. What's your bargaining chip? - R

Nice to see you here (back or

by Adrian Barnes on 11 Oct 2010 at about 08:52.

Nice to see you here (back or not) after your comments in the Trail Times that our 'newspaper' discourages dissenting opinions from downhill. Clearly this is not so because...well, here you are. Thanks for legitimizing us!

To answer your question, what I consider our 'bargaining chip' to be is the belief that a city that pays its own dollars to educate its own children should be allowed to decide its own future. You might disagree that this is a good or practical idea, but can you seriously argue that we don't have the right?

Glad to help

by RCalderon on 12 Oct 2010 at about 18:41.
Hope the comment sends more traffic your way. I also noticed a sincere attempt to do a couple of features on the area's main employer - Teck. As to school taxes...most of the taxes are submitted annually by property owners. Each municipality as well as rural areas forward the amounts collected to the province. The province also kicks in additional amounts to the overall school taxes collected. You can check Rossland's annual budget for school tax assessment totals paid out. I'm just guessing but I doubt that you could run one school let alone 2, on the amounts that are collected in one municipality alone. Again, any "right" that applies to one city must apply to another. I doubt that your singular solution would ever see the light of day in Victoria. - R

 We always appreciate all our

by Adrian Barnes on 13 Oct 2010 at about 14:47.

 We always appreciate all our commenters--believe it or not, especially those who disagree with us. If nothing else, we like a good argument here at the Telegraph. As for our 'sincerity' wrt Teck--that's nothing new. We've consistently and fairly reported on that company's activities during the last two years and have good working relationships with our contact people there.

You raise a valid concern about both the money Rossland has AND the provincial government's likely lack of enthusiasm for a rational idea like mine--we'll likely find out soon enough.

So nice to have you back, FP.

by Shelley Ackerman on 10 Oct 2010 at about 15:50.
So nice to have you back, FP. We really missed you.

Trusting Trustees

by D on 05 Oct 2010 at about 23:06.
Adrian, I wouldn't discount all of the trustees from other wards (Fruitvale, Castlegar) from doing the right thing when voting time comes. Last year, when Trustee Driutti made the motion to close RSS, it was defeated by a 6-3 vote. The 3 trustees from Trail area who voted to close RSS were also being lobbied by citizens who feared that Webster and Glenmerry schools would be sacrificed instead. Imo, we can blame whoever came up with the lame idea to close two perfectly good elementary schools for reigniting the "close RSS fire". A vote to close RSS is a vote for: 1. LARGER class sizes for Crowe high school students (I'm 100% certain about this, surrounded by a family of current and former secondary educators) 2. Reduced graduation rates. 3. And most importantly, removal of the option of attending a smaller school, which many students need. I also doubt that adding 250-300 students at Crowe would significantly impact course variety. So...what would a vote to close RSS say about how trustees value secondary education? I would question how anyone could sleep at night after voting to close an excellent high school with an excellent record....without even having tried very low impact options such as a 4 day school week (evidence supports academic outcomes being similar whether it's a 4 or 5 day week). So what if an extra day of daycare is needed?...on the flip side, 4 less days of after school childcare would be needed for many families. A 4 day school week could save a million dollars per year without displacing any students or closing any schools, nor affecting academic achievement, and I'm surprised there's been so little discussion about it. I assume the CUPE collective agreement will be up for renegotiation soon, and maybe with enough pressure, SD20 will remove the section that guarantees the 5 day workweek? While I agree with your desire to take a strong stand (I was bracing to boycott the public system if Webster School closed), I do worry that If the fight to keep RSS open becomes about community integrity alone, then we risk that the trustees and general public may lose sight of the real issue....maintaining educational choice for students of ALL ages, and not allowing ourselves to be bullied into closing schools that still have reasonable student numbers. I totally get the role of schools in community integrity; but I believe that argument is far more powerful to those outside the community when presented in the context of academic/educational outcomes...and potential outcomes for ALL students in the district. If the rest of SD20 residents allow RSS to close, then who's to say Webster (or other schools) won't be next?

Not all SD 20 trustees hate RSS

by Adrian Barnes on 06 Oct 2010 at about 07:32.

Thanks for your reply, Dorothy. I certainly don't think ALL trustees are against Rossland--there are only a couple of hardcore Rosslandia-phobes. It's the reasonableness of the majority and our own stellar representation on the Board (thanks Gord and Kelvin) that have kept RSS around this long--and for that we should be grateful.

However, we still only have 1/9 votes in the district and when bureaucrats set evaluative criteria that eliminate any chance of supporting RSS, clearly the district's stated values--brute economic efficiency over everything else and in spite of the economic necessity of RSS to Rossland--are not ours. If we bow to their logic, it will be our town that withers and fades and Trail that gets a much-needed shot in the arm.

Why should SD20 buy into the 'Rossland needs RSS' argument when SD20 only has a 1/9 stake in Rossland?

Ideas such as the four day week are creative and intelligent--but, again, who's listening to them? Proponents of all such ideas are making an assumption that smart options carry weight in the minds of the drafters of PFF3. We stand a strong chance of winning in the abstract while losing our school and town. At least, I suppose, we'll be able to say I told you so when they close Webster in 2014 (my guess as to when the next round of cuts will necessitate this).

And then, I'd wager, Crowe next as Castlegar becomes the HS for an amalgamated West Kootenay district that includes Nelson. Why not? It's only a half hour bus ride. And Trail doesn't need a high school. Besides, think of the economic efficiencies!

I think that sounds perfectly reasonable...and I'm sure the pragmatic (and fiscally prudent) residents of Trail who are happy to see RSS close will agree. Those unflinching realists won't have any sentimental attachment to their school or irrational fears about the viability of their community when the time comes. In fact, I look forward to seeing the beaming faces of the Trail trustees as they wave the first busload of Crowe kids off to Castlegar!

No one "hates" RSS

by RCalderon on 12 Oct 2010 at about 18:56.
I wish you would stop perpetuating this myth. How can I convince you that more serious tax burdens are coming our way? Healthcare for one. We need more end of life care in this area and thorughout BC. Where are those who suffered paralyzing strokes, have dementia or alzheimer's supposed to go? In 5 years, you can expect to see an increased number of elderly that require care homes. This is not just a matter of shuffling to another care centre somewhere far away. The facilities aren't there or are filled to capacity with no room for increased numbers of patients. The way I see it, and you can disagree, is that savings in other major spending areas, such as closing half empty schools, will increase not decrease. Moreover, it's not that there will be no education available to Rossland's high school kids. Just not where you personally wish them to be. The times they are a'changing... - R

I agree healthcare will face

by D on 13 Oct 2010 at about 22:14.
I agree healthcare will face even larger funding pressures than education. Seniors in Rossland would appear to have suffered the most. No assisted living/supportive housing facility exists there, and they lost their residential care facility/hospital a few years ago. It's sure tough for the spouse remaining at home to drive up and down that highway in the winter time, and tough for those that don't drive to cope with limited Handidart service. It would be nice to see the Rossland schools opened up to seniors groups, e.g. something such as an adult day program (the more caregiver respite available - which is cheaper to run than residential care facilities - the more people are able to cope with caring for loved ones at home while awaiting that elusive care home bed). Where I disagree is with the implied idea that closing schools is the only solution to tax burdens. Many cost-saving ideas exist - that are quite do-able, and don't involve uprooting students from attending schools closer to home.

 I took great pains to stress

by Adrian Barnes on 13 Oct 2010 at about 15:05.

 I took great pains to stress that Trail-ites don't 'hate' RSS, although a couple of trustees are pretty obviously not 'impartial' as they are mandated to be. As for where to place funding...well, that's another issue. The BC government will keep cutting education AND healthcare until they're destroyed. That's why I think small towns should band together and take a stand...not rip each other apart.

You're wrong about the Trail trustees

by RCalderon on 13 Oct 2010 at about 20:03.
(and I assume Warfield/Bluberry Creek). They are impartial. They base their decisions, like most responsible people, first on numbers as we all do daily. Numbers determine our actions everyday. The numbers on the thermometer determine whether you need gloves today; or whether you have a temperature. Numbers determine whether you have a couple of glasses of wine and blow over .05 and consequences follow. Numbers determine whether you can afford your mortgage or whether you need to cut back on discretionary spending. Numbers determine whether a business stays afloat or sinks due to high operating and overhead costs. Numbers determine how much income tax you'll pay next year. Numbers determine how much funding you'll get on a per capita basis. Numbers are the basis for decision-making at a local smelter that has been in business successfully for a hundred years. Numbers determine whether that company will experience a slow down or a boom. If you think about it, numbers govern your daily decision-making. - R

Well said. Too bad come

by D on 06 Oct 2010 at about 20:28.
Well said. Too bad come election time we couldn't have more than one vote, since trustees from other wards have so much say in what happens in ours.

I agree with you Adrian

by Gravity on 05 Oct 2010 at about 22:29.
It would be foolish to present an option to SD 20 with anything less than K-12 in Rossland. We give them the option to be part of it or we find a way to do it on our own. In some ways it might be better without SD20, as it would offer more flexibility in the way we deliver an education to our children. There is a funding crisis in virtually every school district, created by the BC Liberals. You would think that parent groups would be hopping mad and organize province wide to pressure Gordon Campbell into adequately funding education, and keeping the schools open. This is a government that would rather give big tax breaks to their corporate friends, gut profitable crown corporations and build convention centers and casinos in Vancouver, than educate our children. It's time for a change of Government in Victoria.

Education Open House Event

by RosslandNOL on 05 Oct 2010 at about 11:32.
I just wanted to add a few comments about the focus of the open house that occurred on Sunday night. At this point in the process we are looking for constructive solutions that fit into the School District # 20 plans. During the evening we focused on six different scenarios to gather feedback and ideas from the community: -K-12 in a renovated or rebuilt RSS -K-7 in MacLean, 8-12 at Crowe -K-9 in RSS, 10-12 at Crowe -Neighbourhood Learning Centre in RSS -Expanded program choice at RSS to be able to better market the school -Independent school The information from this event will be collated and posted on the City of Rossland website and the Visions for Small schools website within the next week. Other scenarios and ideas have been put forward, such as forming or joining another school district, but at this point, they are all just ideas that need further review and research. The results from this event, the community survey, and other community consultation events, will help us to move forward with a scenario that is supported by the community of Rossland. We need to remember that we are currently a part of School District # 20 and are trying to do everything we can to work together and create the best model for education for all of the students in the district. Above all, we don't want to lose educational choice within the district, keeping K-12 in Rossland is about keeping choices open to families in the whole area, not just Rossland. One other note, the above article states that the current Planning for the Future document does not include any options for a high school in Rossland - while the recent summary document included four options that all have RSS slated for closure, the entire Draft Facilities Report still contains other options that allow for K-12 education in Rossland. No decisions have been made yet, many options are still on the table. As a community, we need to be proactive and work with the school district to make the best decisions for students and communities. Ami Haworth Rossland Neighbourhoods of Learning Coordinator rosslandnol@gmail.com

K-12 in RSS

by Phil F on 07 Oct 2010 at about 10:55.
I just don't see how turning RSS into a K-12 could be economical or practical. RSS just doesn't have the yard/playground space necessarry. The renovation or rebuilding costs would be very high. We already have two viable buildings, why try to reinvent them? Just the planning costs would outrageous. If the idea of a combined K-12 facility is to save on staffing costs, then why not try to share those costs with two different buildings. They are already so close to each other (less than a five minute walk apart). Why not have those two schools share one principal, one librarian maybe. There might be ways to share administrative expenses without physically joining the schools. Building maintenance might also be done by the same staff for both buildings. As for seceding from SD20, that should only be a very last ditch option. Many Rossland students go to Crowe, and Trail students come to RSS. Seperating the schools into different school boards would hamper those options.

A last ditch option, indeed.

by Adrian Barnes on 07 Oct 2010 at about 14:25.

 I agree, Phil, that secession is a last-ditch option: but it's an option that's in the process of being forced upon us. If we can save RSS and stay in SD20, I'm all for it. But we need a relationship of equals, not brute democracy. RSS requires the same sort of 'constitutional' protection that Quebec enjoys as a minority in Canada.

The idea that Trail trustees have Rossland's and Trail's interests equally at heart is, frankly, an absurd one. And I don't blame Trail for this: it's too much to expect in these times. I'm sure if Rossland had four trustees to Trail's one, the same thing might well be happening in reverse. Doesn't make it fair, though.