Quesnel Kersley elementary school parents protest potential closure

Parents whose children attend a rural school south of Quesnel, B.C. are not letting their children go to class today and protesting outside the school instead to condemn its potential closure.

School district 28 is trying to save money by closing the 61-student school, Kersley Elementary, located just south of Quesnel.

About 20 parents stood outside the school with signs Wednesday morning.

"We are also trying to bring attention to our cause, which is not only saving our school but also showing parents province-wide that they have to stand up for their public education system," said Christina Moffat, whose child attends the school.

The Quesnel school district is one of many in the province that has had to find ways to make up for budget cuts from the provincial government.

Moffat says the government is treating the school system as a "business model" and that it should not treat students like "products."

Fellow parent Michelle Syverston, mother of four students attending Kersley, says the school gives students a sense of community, something a city school may not provide.

"It's just a fantastic experience for the children. rural schools are so important, and they're just being lost," said Syverston.

The school district says it will hear from parents and students at several town hall meetings scheduled for later this month.