Nearly 200 parents and Southampton residents attended the community meeting about a new program coming to GC Huston Public School.
The specially designated program under Section 23 of the Education Act had been causing concern because many people thought it a class for youth involved in the criminal justice system would be coming to the school.
Last night’s meeting was meant to calm those concerns.
Bluewater District School Board Vice Principal of Student Services Carolynn Dyer explained that the program starting at GC Huston in January is for students with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression that can be easily treated in a daytime setting.
She also explained the class will never have more than eight students and will operate on a schedule separately from the rest of the school.
Students in the program will have separate recess time, entrances, and transportation from the other students.
Dyer says school programs do exist for young people in the criminal justice system, but that will not be taking place at GC Huston.
Parents were more concerned about how the school board, and partner agency Keystone Child and Family Services communicated their plans. to the school community.
Parent Allison Trumbley says if they had been better informed when plans were taking shape in November, a public meeting wouldn’t have been necessary.
School staff were notified about the new class on December 3rd.
Trumbley admits parents had misconceptions about the program, but says the board also had misconceptions that the community didn’t want the new class at the school.
Trumbley says Southampton residents have always pulled together in the past to make sure people with mental or physical needs were looked after.
Board Superintendent Jean Stephenson apologized to the audience for the misunderstanding.
Parent Nancy Gray-Starkebaum says the apology will help rebuild trust, but the board will have to do more to improve communication.
She agrees with the services Keystone provides and is pleased they will make guarantees to the community about how the program will operate.
Carolynn Dyer says the board will continue to build its relationship and strike a balance of understanding with the community.
Parent Katherine Forsyth says she doesn’t know how anyone could disagree with the program, and communication from the school board has been the real problem.
She thinks the board has learned what it should do differently next time.
This is the first time the Bluewater Board or Keystone has encountered any community concerns over the special classes, which also exist in Hepworth and Owen Sound.
The programs have been running locally in various forms since 1974.
