The vote for the Bluewater school board’s accommodation review may result in another J-K to Grade 12 school.
The committee reviewing Hanover and Chesley schools has made two recommendations — one of which calls for two J-K to Grade 12 schools.
Co-Chair Salim Shaw says if the board wants to go in that direction — staff should starting planning for it now.
Shaw says JK to Grade 12 may be a unique solution to declining enrolment in rural Ontario — but he wants trustees to go into it with a plan — rather than going into it first and then trying to make a plan.
Shaw says the concept will give you a smaller school size and allows you to consolidate students under one umbrella and will save you administrative costs.
His concern is that it won’t put more teachers and better qualified teachers in the classrooms.
Shaw says trustees have to think about the best needs of the students, rather than just saving a few dollars here and there.
Bluewater Trustees will make its decision on Tuesday night on the ARC recommendations for Chesley, Hanover and Port Elgin.
