School’s parents to vote on relocation
Whether kids stay put at John Fisher Public or move to another building will be decided this week
Will they stay or will they go?
That’s the next question on the table for parents of 500 elementary students at John Fisher Public School, where turmoil has reigned over a 35-storey apartment building about to be erected next door.
In a letter from The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) on Friday, parents got instructions for an online vote on where children will attend classes next fall. Their choices include staying put during the next three to four years of construction, or relocating the French immersion school near Yonge and Eglinton to Vaughan Road Academy, about seven kilometres away.
“I don’t think (moving) was ever a popular choice,” says Mary Mowbray, whose daughter is in Grade 5. Mowbray hasn’t decided how she will respond.
Some families have already chosen to return to local English schools as a result of the disruption, despite the shortage of spaces in the area.
Mowbray is one of many parents worried that the children won’t be safe and adequate measures are not in place, particularly when it comes to daily monitoring and enforcement of safety standards.
“If it’s safe, why are they asking people if they want to move to Vaughan Road?” MARY MOWBRAY JOHN FISHER PARENT
She says too many questions remain unanswered about how factors such as excessive noise, dust, traffic and heavy equipment will affect the learning environment and playground activities.
Last week, parents, kids and local politicians gathered outside the school for the latest in a string of protests, this time against a recent agreement between the TDSB and developer KG Group following recommendations spelled out in an environmental risk assessment by an outside consultant.
Under terms of the deal, KG Group will provide $500,000 to offset costs of steps required to mitigate risks, such as new windows and air-conditioning units in the school.
Company founder Marvin Katzcalls the firm’s efforts to minimize risk “unprecedented” and says there was never any reason to consider relocating the school. But, as part of the deal, the builder will suspend construction for the first six weeks of the school year to allow the board enough time to put measures in place.
Mowbray says the survey, which was attempted last month, but boycotted after parents said they didn’t have enough information to make an informed deci- sion, makes no sense. “If it’s safe, why are they asking people if they want to move to Vaughan Road?” she said.
The TDSB letter says it is proceeding with the survey in line with its earlier commitment to parents. The board will only consider moving the school if twothirds of parents are in favour of relocation. Results are scheduled to be released Friday.
The fate of the school is to be decided after six months of protests, headlines and appeals from parents to politicians, including Premier Kathleen Wynne, who is the MPP for the area. Mayor John Tory has said he will make sure builders are held to the “highest standards” of safety during construction.
After the outcry, the TDSB committed to the risk assessment as well as a peer review of that document by a second consultant, which cost the board about $170,000.
But some parents say they’re disappointed such steps weren’t taken earlier and that the board should have taken a stronger stand from the start, demanding more answers about the potential impact of the project on students.
“I feel fundamentally, the TDSB has let children down and that’s who they’re supposed to be there to serve,” Mowbray says.