When the last school was being built in Ward 4 (Palermo Public School), the entire community was contacted by a mass mailing with a detailed questionnaire.
So why with a new high school being built have public school taxpayers not been included in the accommodation process that is currently underway or having a mass questionnaire sent to them to provide input?
It has been approximately 7 years since a new high school was built in Ward 4 so the new school is extremely important not only to families attending the school but to homeowners whose property values could be affected by the accommodation decision being made.
During recent accommodation update meetings, residents stated that it may be difficult to know who may want to attend the new school because many families who have left the public school system may return when the new school is completed. They also expressed concern as to the accuracy of numbers provided by the board both during these sessions as well as historical accuracy in the past.
Let us hope that the HDSB will send out a similar update/questionnaire to ensure all public school taxpayers have input to the educational future in Ward 4. They pay for the services of our public system, how vested interest in it and are part of our community. Their voices need to be heard before any final decision is made on something as important as a new high school.
Let us know what you think.
