Mr. MacDonald speaks against school closures; “No neighbourhood should lose its school so that another can have one.”
The following is copied from the February 16, 2010 printed transcripts of the Legislative debate and discussion.
Mr. MacDonald (Edmonton-Gold Bar Lib): Thank you, Mr.
Speaker. Last week the Edmonton public school board voted to start
the debate on the closure process for at least five public schools in central
Edmonton. No community should lose its public school so another community
somewhere else can have a school built. Next year the government
plans to open 18 public schools across the province at a cost of over
$1 billion over 30 years. Nine of these schools will be located in
communities recently developed here in Edmonton. Because of the
provincial school utilization rate these new schools force the
Edmonton public school board to close older schools in mature
neighbourhoods. This provincial government formula discriminates
against older schools in mature, established neighbourhoods.
Since 2002 the Edmonton public school board has closed 15
schools in central Edmonton. These closures have resulted in the
elimination of over 6,500 student spaces. The Edmonton public
school board plans to close at least another 5,000 student spaces if
they get their way. According to the Edmonton public schools
student enrolment is going down, way down. Meanwhile, this
government’s 20-year strategic capital plan projects that in four
years there will be more students in the system than we’ve ever had
before. In fact, Mr. Speaker, they’re projecting 80,000 additional
students.
Which projection are parents and taxpayers to believe? Until we
find out the truth, we should stop the closure process in Edmonton
and any other community that’s affected by it. If the city of
Edmonton increases population density in the central neighbourhoods
as planned, we will need the student spaces now being
considered for closure.
I urge the province, the city of Edmonton, and the Edmonton
public school board to sit down, to work together, and to plan once
and for all for the future. No neighbourhood should lose its school
so that another one can have one.
Thank you. (112 – 113)
