I guess what is really bothering me about this school closing thing is the weakness of the democratic process.
When Harris changed education funding from a Board assessed property tax base to this province dependant one, trustees changed too.
Before, they agonizing about the tax rate that they levied but responding to community needs with support for thing like child care, family centres and community use of space.
In the good old days (sorry, but I am old, so I get to say this) trustees led political movements to improve education and stand up for the city.
But now, trustees see themselves as the keepers of the provincial formula.
They sit around and think about how to divide their budget in response to that formula.
They are afraid to manipulate the specific budget lines to the community’s needs and, of course, they feel they must balance the budget at all cost.
They live in fear that if the provincially portioned budget is not handled the way that the Ministry of Education decrees, they could be pushed aside and replaced by a Supervisor.
Since they value their positions more than their responsibility to us, our trustees are responsible to the Province, not us their electors.
They are the proud lackeys of the Minister.
That is why the ARC process was a sham consultative one. Our wishes are not important.
Trustees know that the provincial formula is crafted so that they have to close schools and sell off community assets to private developers to make it balance.
We are left with a politically impotent level of government, the Board, populated by powerless functionaries, the trustees.
That’s just sad.
They could take what little control they might have and say no but they have made no indication that they are even considering this.
Their orders come through the formula, and they obey. They have rendered themselves powerless.
Like I said, it is just sad.
