Dear editor,
The School Board is thinking of closing Puntledge School. Although it is very difficult to get clear information from the School Board it seems that the reason to closing our neighborhood schools is that Highland doesn’t have enough enrollment in some of their classes. This means that the borders are going to be changed and some of the Isfeld kids will move to Highland, then some of the Vanier kids will move to Isfeld and then (honest to goodness) the Lake Trail kids will have to be bused to Vanier and then they will close Puntledge School to move the kids from there to Lake Trail. All of this to solve a problem at Highland. And yes, to somehow save money.
So hundreds and hundreds of students will be uprooted to solve a problem that has nothing to do with them.
Ecole Puntledge Park is a huge part of our neighbourhood. It is the only school in B.C., that we know of, that has a salmon spawning stream. It is surrounded by trees and fields and it is loved by both the kids who go there and kids who went there 30 years ago. Over 460 people have signed a petition just in the past week. People from all over Canada who went to Puntledge have signed, because they loved their school.
Does the School Board know that the Number 1 indicator of success in education is liking one’s school? It tops absolutely every other indicator. We have a jewel of a location and the kids love their school. Please don’t shut it down to solve a problem at Highland.
Shirley Wade-Linton
Courtenay