Dear editor,
In light of the recent recommendation to close 13 schools in Vancouver due to seismic risks, why is the Comox Valley School District doing the opposite? The proposal to close Puntledge Park Elementary School and move the children to Lake Trail Middle School puts our children’s lives at unnecessary risk in the event of an earthquake.
A B.C. government review of the seismic risk to public schools found Lake Trail Middle School to be “at high risk of widespread damage or structural failure; likely not reparable after event” (see links below). Meanwhile, Puntledge Park Elementary was not found to be at risk in the event of an earthquake.
It is a sad indictment on the Comox Valley School District that saving one per cent of their annual operating budget is more important than the safety of over 400 children. To make matters worse, those one per cent cost savings don’t even take into account the $1.8 million that will have to be spent to seismically upgrade Lake Trail, should that money ever be made available from the provincial government.
The School Board trustees need to put an end to this madness and vote against the proposal to close Puntledge Park Elementary on March 15.
(References - http://bit.ly/1WTX0Rm , http://bit.ly/1QpQbD3)
Joel Mortyn
Courtenay