Sudbury Rainbow school board pushes to merge 4 boards into 1

The Rainbow District School Board in Sudbury is asking the province to consider one school board instead of four, as a possible solution to the lack of use of school facilities.

The board passed a motion with the request at its meeting Tuesday evening, and the idea is being welcomed by some parents.

The request will now be sent to the premier, the minister of education, the Ontario Public School Boards' Association and local members of provincial parliament.

School board chair Doreen Dewar said school boards in northern Ontario service large geographical areas.

"We see some real advantages, especially if you look at small communities where there might be two different buildings," she said.

"If we could put the students together, share facilities, maintain our distinct programs, we would have a presence. We would maintain a school within our small communities."

Dewar said this isn't a new request, as the board has sent similar letters in the past.

"All three political parties have turned the idea down," she said. "So, do I have hope that it's going to happen? No, not really."

Dewar said the board has been bringing up the issue every few years and plans to continue doing so as it's "a solution that would be good for kids and for education."

In the 2014 election, the Green Party of Ontario included in its platform the idea to merge four school boards into one. The party stated at the time the change could save the province $1 billion each year.

Currently, the Rainbow District School Board is undertaking an accommodation review, and up to 12 schools could be closed in the process. The board said the financial shortfall is due to a decline in provincial funding and decreasing enrolment.

Saving money

Mike Roy has three children who attend Lively District Secondary School, one of the schools that could close through the board's accommodation review.

He was surprised to hear the board is discussing consolidation.

"I was kind of shocked to hear it," he said. "I didn't even realize they were thinking of it."

Roy said he feels having a conversation about consolidating four boards into one is beneficial.

"They're looking to save money," he said. "This will save them a lot more money than closing any school."

Chantelle Gorham's child attends Larchwood Public School in Dowling, another school that could close in the accommodation review process. She said she also welcomes any move to save money, but said she questions the timing of the board passing the motion while an accommodation review is underway.

"I certainly think that if the board were genuine in this attempt, that they would have approached the ministry long ago and been relentless in what appears to be a crisis," she said.

"It certainly feels like too little, too late at this point."