Parents upset at plan to bus kids to Crestwood
Public meeting on proposed intermediate school set for Thursday at Crestwood
Paul Davidson says his Grade 6 son is already expressing concerns about the possibility of attending classes at Crestwood Secondary School next fall.
“He said, ‘Hey Dad ... I’m worried about bullies.’ That’s top of mind for kids now,” Davidson said. “He wants to know who will be there to protect him if someone starts bullying him on the bus.”
Davidson and his wife, Cheri, have two children who attend school in Millbrook, and they’re among some parents in the community concerned about a recent proposal to close Grades 7 and 8 at Millbrook South Cavan Public School and then busing the kids off to a new intermediate school at Peterborough’s Crestwood Secondary School as soon as next year.
“The only notice that was ever provided was a single letter sent home in the kids’ backpacks stating the decision and the scheduling of two questionand-answer sessions, one in Millbrook and the next one this Thursday at Crestwood,” Davidson said. “I would imagine there are many families that still don’t know about the change that is before them because of the limited information coming from the board.”
A number of parents of students from Millbrook South Cavan and Westmount public schools are expected at a public meeting Thursday at Crestwood, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The proposal would see Grades 7 and 8 students from Kawartha Heights, Millbrook, North Cavan and English streaming students from Westmount attend Crestwood.
Grades 7 and 8 French-immersion students from Westmount would attend Adam Scott Intermediate School, and James Strath Public School would remain a kindergarten to Grade 8 school.
Superintendent Peter Mangold said the plan stems from increasing enrolment pressures and student accommodation challenges in some area schools. Westmount and Millbrook South Cavan are now at overcapacity, he said, and there
is no further room for expansion at Westmount.
As it stands now, Crestwood has a capacity of 933 students, but next year’s enrolment is predicted to be 683. This proposal would boost that number to 815 next year, and within 10 years push it well over capacity, potentially qualifying the area for funding of a new school. But Davidson said that would come at the expense of the small schools that would feed Crestwood,
it could hurt businesses in communities like Millbrook, and there would be an emotional expense for families and students. The assessment behind this decision is concerning, Davidson said.
“It has been based entirely on how to fill schools in Peterborough and plug the numbers so that Peterborough can qualify for a new school. No evident consideration has been given on the impact to Millbrook families or business, the increased travel time for these 100 children, the environmental impact of additional busing,
and more travel time between Millbrook and Peterborough for missed buses, medical appointments and after-school programming.”
Currently, there are six portables at Millbrook with room for six more, according to the board. There is space for the Millbrook Grades 7 and 8 students to stay at their home school. Projected enrolment for 2020 is only 32 students more than the current number.
The Davidsons’ concerns have been echoed by other parents in the Millbrook community, who are accusing the board of making
the move to boost a dwindling population at Crestwood.
“The board needs to fill the space available at Crestwood in order to show a need for a new school anywhere in the area,” a group of Millbrook-area parents wrote in a letter last week. “We all pay school board taxes and don’t support our funds being used to solve Crestwood’s enrolment problems by uprooting our children.”
“We believe that a better solution for Millbrook students and families would be to stay and continue their education in their community.”