Vote goes tonight whether to keep St. Agatha Catholic Elementary School
Posted Jun 23, 2014 05:00:23 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
After months of attending meetings and reading reports, a final decision on whether or not to close St Agatha Catholic Elementary School will be made tonight.
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board’s Accommodation Review Committee has given trustees two options: keep the school open or close it.
Cathy Mallick is co-chair of the St Agatha school council and sat on the Review Committee. She tells 570 News there are a lot of nerves going into tonight’s meeting.
“I expect that the Trustees will continue to search out for a great solution. They’ve been very conscientious in asking for information to make a good decision, and I expect that they will continue to do so.”
Mallick adds if the school was to be closed then there would only be one Catholic school in Wilmot Township, something that would cause frustrated catholic families to switch to the public school system.
She outlined these concerns in an email to Trustees today.
“In your decision tonight, you have the opportunity to not only secure current enrollment, but to re-engage lost enrollment of Catholic families in Wilmot. You have the opportunity to send a message to WCDSB staff that their approach should be proactive, not reactive. And you have the opportunity to re-assure the Catholic community that you are indeed committed to meeting their needs and securing their right to Catholic education in proper facilities in Wilmot.
We are in a transitional time, and brave decisions need to be made. You have shown thus far that you are committed to making a good decision. I trust that you will vote for the highest good, and not for the most convenient.”
Mallick says parents from the school, local politicians, and supporters from church groups are expected to show at tonight’s meeting.
The meeting gets underway at 5:30 pm.
