Motion to halt Rainbow School Board accommodation review defeated

Morning North6:56Motion to halt a decision to close 12 Sudbury schools defeated

Trustees of the Rainbow District School Board voted to defeat a motion to halt a decision to close 12 Sudbury schools. We have audio of some of the discussion that was held around the vote.A motion that would have halted a decision to close 12 schools in Sudbury was defeated Tuesday night.

Manitoulin trustee Larry Killens' motion would have delayed the Rainbow District School Board's accommodation review process until the provincial government decided if it would restore funding to rural schools.

• Rainbow Board trustee pushes motion to halt accommodation reviews

But Killens' motion was defeated seven to three.

Board chair Doreen Dewar said trustees knew what they were getting themselves into by starting the accommodation review. 

"​Did we not know what we were saying when we made those motions," Dewar asked. 

"Did we not understand that this was going to be a difficult process?"

But trustee Gord Santala said ideas like Killens' are essential to address the larger issues of under-funded schools in the area.

"Unless we do something like this and communities across the province do something like this, nothing will move forward," Santala said.

"So I believe this is a positive motion, which will bring the conversation back to the government's lap where it really belongs."

The board will make its final recommendations on possible school closures November 24.

Trustees will have their final say February 7.

Listen to the story here