Community unhappy about plans to close Saint John school

Dozens of parents, teachers, students, and members of the community gathered at St. John the Baptist-King Edward School, to protest the idea of closing the facility.

InNovember, the Anglophone South District Education Council put forward a plan to close the school and sendstudentstoPrinceCharlesSchoolinstead.

• 28 New Brunswick schools to be studied for closure

"You're taking out the heartof the community," said JudithMeinert-Thomas, who spoke out at Monday night's meeting, that saw close to150 people.

She said the school and its programs are anintrinsicpart of the south end.

"It's a beacon for people here."

TheSt.John the Baptist-King Edward Schoolcomplex also houses a communitycentre,the YMCA Early Learning Centre, a boxing club, and a brand new community kitchen.

"The unintendedsocialconsequencesto this plan will bedevastating,"said Allan MacDougall, who also spoke out on Monday night.

"The school's rental income supports community suppers, poor people programs, school lunch programs, spiritual programs, andathletic programs too numerous to mention."

Proponents of the school closurehave promised to movethecommunitycentreswithstudents, which was upsettingto many in the crowd.

"This report clearly strikes rage in the face of those who worked so hard to contribute to the construction of this outstanding,modernized, community kitchen when it cites the difficulty ofdismantlingormoving it," saidMacDougall.

"It is clear from this report that the driving question was never how to improve the educational experience,but rather how to dump rented properties andfinanciallyjustify it."

No Consultations

The lack ofconsultation with communitymembersabout theproposalbefore it was released, was a point of concern for several people at the meeting.

AnnBarrettfelt the public wasn't being consulted and finances were the only factors being consideredin the entire process.

"I really felt this whole process was the wrong approach," she said. "We've been left out of the whole process."

But the process does take time.

If a closure were to take place, officials say students won't be moved for at least another five years.