It was a regular Bluewater District School board meeting in Chesley — but an ARC meeting broke out on Tuesday night.
The board room was jammed with parents and students primarily interested in the Chesley/Hanover accommodation review wanting to hear the final report being presented to trustees.
Before that though Wendy McConnell of West Grey spoke to the board saying Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 facilities at Chesley District and John Diefenbaker are not the answer.
She said a district high school housing Grades 9 to 12 and regular elementary schools is the route to go.
McConnell brought along 8 year old Hannah McCarroll, a Grade 3 student at Spruceridge to explain.
She said “Keep the big kids with the big kids and the small kids with the small kids.”
Meanwhile, the past president of the Chesley Chamber of Commerce Peter Knifel said not keeping Chesley District open would create financial hardship for students that would spend more time on buses attending school in Hanover.
He says many businesses would have to re-consider part time employment for those students.
Chesley parent Sara-Lynne Leask has two kids in elementary school and although she didn’t speak, she did tell Bayshore Broadcasting afterwards that she was disappointed in the final presentation made from the Chesley/Hanover ARC committee.
Leask felt the report wasn’t balanced and Chesley supporters will just have to work harder to help trustees make the correct decision.
Both the Chesley/Hanover and the Kincardine/Port Elgin ARC chairs made their formal presentations to the board with two recommendations each.
Trustees now have until October 18th to make a final decision.
