The Lambton Kent District School Board witnessed a backlash from the community Tuesday evening on its recommendation to close SCITS high school.
Hundreds of students, parents, teachers and taxpayers attended Tuesday's ARC public meeting at the SCITS auditorium, with over 30 speakers voicing their concerns.
The underlying theme was to do what's best for the students.
Keith Wyville agreed amalgamation is necessary due to declining student enrollment numbers, but argued that St. Clair lacked the amenities already available at SCITS.
"After touring both schools and thinking about what I had seen, I had to conclude that SCITS offers so much more to the students," he says. "The larger music rooms, more shops, this auditorium, the pool, more gyms, the wrestling room, and as a bonus SCITS offers more to the community."
Parent Jennifer George noted closing the school would lose the school board's only Priority School Initiative (PSI) designation, which offers low-cost community access to SCITS amenities including the pool and auditorium.
She says there are currently 20 groups using SCITS for over 1,700 hours this school year.
George was among various other speakers that echoed the impact on Mitton Village merchants and the concern of having another abandoned building near the downtown core.
"SCITS is directly surrounded by many small businesses that count on the students to operate. You will cause a wave of closures if you pull SCITS out of this neighbourhood," she says.
The public also expressed concerns on heritage designation, student transportation, scholarships and bursaries attached to the school, the future of SCITS Revue, and the structural integrity of both SCITS and St. Clair high schools.
The next ARC working meeting will be held March 21 with the board scheduled to make a decision in late April.
