Victoria Public School in Tecumseh to close

By Sean Previl

Despite the efforts of the community, a local public school is closing.

Board members of the Greater Essex County District School Board decided Nov. 19 to close Victoria Public School in Tecumseh.

Chair of the board Helga Bailey said school closures are always difficult for the board and the families affected.

“We struggle with these decisions every time. We’ve been through a number of them, we do at least one a year,” said Bailey. “It’s difficult for the families (and) it’s difficult for the students and the staff.”

But Bailey said the closure is necessary because keeping the school open would be too expensive.

“We have to do this because otherwise we are spending money on bricks, mortar and empty space, which we cannot afford to do.”

The closure will also affect A.V. Graham Public School in Tecumseh.

Todd Awender, superintendent of education for the GECDSB, said closing Victoria, as well as considering other possible school closures, could save the board up to $6 million currently being spent on the surplus buildings.

Awender said there are several steps that will need to happen next.

“What will happen now is what we call an implementation committee that gets together,” said Awender. “There’s meetings with senior administration that will take place and it will (be) looking at all the little things that make the transition as seamless as possible.  Transportation will be looked at, and room assignments and the staffing process will occur as well, later on in the spring. “

Awender said while a few parents expressed some concerns over the process, the locations of both schools and the boundaries involved would help parents who are concerned about moving their children. Students at Victoria will be transferred to Graham at the conclusion of the school year.

“The great thing about this is both schools are already existing in the same boundary and they’re both schools that are under-capacity,” said Awender. “Now what’s happening is we’ve got a program model that’s consistent with the rest of our board and it will have a (junior kindergarten) through Grade 8 school in one building.”

Chelsey Lucier, 27, whose children both attend Victoria said her main concern about the school closing is losing the connection her kids have with their teachers.

“I like the idea that everybody kind of knows everybody there,” said Lucier. “You walk in and they don’t say, ‘oh who are your children?’ They know who you are. The kids know all the teachers’ names there. It’s just a small, close school and it’s nice.”

Bailey also said the decision of whether D.M. Eagle Public School will also be closed, which has been another concern for parents, will not happen this year.

“That closure will be so far into the future that I don’t think anybody needs to be worried about it right now,” said Bailey.

Victoria Public School will close by the end of the 2013-14 school year.