Bullet News CLINTON – A committee of parents and municipal representatives is rethinking its plan to recommend the local school board close Colborne Central Public School and bus its students to a combination of neighbouring schools.
Instead, the Holmesville-Colborne Accommodation Review Committee intends to present an option to the Avon Maitland District School Board in January that would see Colborne Central PS closed and all of its children transferring to Holmesville PS, Coun. Brian Barnim told members of Central Huron Council yesterday.
“It’s the rural option that we don’t want to lose. Because if we do, it’s forever gone,” he said.
Earlier this month, the committee announced a draft option that would see Colborne Central PS closed and students on both sides of the Blyth Road and south bused to Holmesville PS while those to the north would be bused to Brookeside Public School. However, at that time, it also said it would prefer to keep all Colborne Central PS students together, despite the fact that it would tip enrolment at Holmesville PS over capacity.
After discussion, they expect some students in the Saltford area will migrate to the Goderich Public School instead, which will alleviate the enrolment figures.
The next steps in the process include refinement of the draft rural option, public input, staff analysis and finally consideration by the AMDSB.
ARC will spent the next two months finalizing its option, and make a presentation to the public on Feb. 15 at Colborne PS (Victoria Campus.) Its option will be available prior to the meeting for public review to give people a chance to sign up as a delegation at the meeting. Based on input, the committee will have two weeks to tweak its option before handing it over to Mike Ash, Superintendent of Education – School Operations, Avon Maitland District School Board. Ash will then package it along the staff’s option for presentation to the Board on Mar. 27. At that time, ARC will be officially disbanded.
Sometime during the first week of May, the Board will schedule a special meeting to hear delegations from the public. At that time, members of the then-disbanded ARC will be able to join the public in making delegations to the Board.
It’s expected to Board will make a final decision sometime during the first week of June.
