Parents make last pitch to save schools

Parents and students will learn the fate of four Edmonton elementary schools at a special board meeting Thursday night, where trustees will consider possible school and program closures.

Trustees willvote on the future of Newton School, High Park School and Mill Creek School. The board also might shut down the regular program at Mount Pleasant School.

At the meeting, parents and community leaders from Newton Schoolwill present their plan to turn itinto a Northeast Learning Academy.It would still provide classroom education, but also serve as a hub for counselling, health care and access to social services.

Donita Couto, president of Newton's parents' council, said they will formally present the proposal at the meeting,and hopes trustees will keep an open mind.

"There have been trustees that have apparently even admitted out there they have already made up their decisions," she said. "I would remind [them] they're elected officials and they work for us as parents and community members, and that an election is coming up."

Under the plan,Newtonwould become a "learning and resource centre for schools in the northeast sector of the city."

Local offices of the United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, Alberta's Children's Services, the Family Centre and Children's Mental Health Services all expressed "strong support for the integrated services aspect of the academy,"the proposal says.

A school board spokesman said Wednesday that the trustees will listen carefully to the presentation, but the decision they makeThursday nightwill be about school closures, not school transformations.

The public school board startedreviewing 10 schoolsinOctober for possible closurebased on criteria such as:

• Enrolment levels.
• Neighbourhood demographics.
• Use of space.
• How many other schools were nearby.