Board not really trying to save Sundance

Re: “School board votes to close Sundance,” March 29.

Why are our politicians so determined to spin their electorate? I was disappointed by school board chairwoman Peg Orcherton’s quote on the closing of Sundance school. She would have you believe the board is committed to working with families to save the school program by moving it to Lake Hill elementary.

Funny that. In three meetings with the school board, families of Sundance worked hard to brainstorm ideas. Families were also clear that Lake Hill, being completely across town, was not viable.

We held to our commitment to run a respectful process, but asked one thing, please honestly vote on the real question — closing a school. What became clear when trustees voted was that they saw none of the options as viable for saving the program.

A number talked of the impossibility of running small school programs. Yet in the press, the chairwoman sticks to the fallacy that they are committed to saving the school. With no children, no ideas they see as workable and no process to continue the discussion, how can she say this program will exist?

What’s really happening here? It feels as if those who voted for this simply want to spin it so that they are not being seen to close a school. That’s good politics and it helps them skirt the provincial government’s requirement for consultation.

It’s not respectful of the families and the Victoria community who have just seen their school closed. John Balogh, Nell Hodges, Lucy Balogh and Jasper Balogh Victoria