Vic High decision is shocking

Re: “Trustees lean to renovating Vic High, not demolishing,” May 16.

The decision-making here is shocking. I am seething with anger at the logic that would spend a premium of up to $60 million to renovate the school to provide space for 150 fewer students than the far cheaper option of providing a completely new facility.

This is egregious. Take a look around — the Vic High catchment has a major residential project in construction on every block. The district cannot afford to provide less space for kids, much less at a premium.

I do realize that the district’s core mandate is to appeal to neighbours’ sensibilities rather than the education of our children, and this would certainly be more of an issue if the school board didn’t have tens of millions burning a hole in its pocket.

I doubt the trustees remember the email I got last year about not using the water fountains at the school due to there being lead in the water. Minor issues, really.

As a parent of two Willows Elementary students, and as a Jubilee resident, I might well be in the position of sending my children to Vic High in the future. Imagine my sense of relief that throngs of aging Fernwood residents are fighting for their future by coercing the cowards at the district into spending double the amount to preserve the facade of a building at the expense of providing suitable facilities for educating my children.

This is beyond the pale. All this to avoid conflict.

Shame on them. James Davison Victoria