QUESTIONS
Source: River John Community Group
We are trying to put our children first – their health, safety and sense of identity in a community which wants to flourish.
We needed and still need a willingness from many stakeholders to make a community driven HUB school pilot succeed. (read more)
The Community of River John, including parents of seventy children who have lost their school still have old and new questions for the Board and Minister Casey:
Why did River John not get needed repairs over years unless they’d already been targeted for closure by certain board members and former Superintendent?
Could the minutes where River John was put on list for school review be reviewed? Was that meeting “procedural”, competent or even legal?
Why were communities of River John, Maitland and Wentworth not given new review process once the old one was deemed faulty? (Why did they do Hard labour on death row and get executed anyhow?)
Why was River John’s request for operating costs ignored for months and information not received until they had to file for Freedom of information? Was this due diligence?
Who told whom to ignore community’s request?
Why was there NEVER a clear answer about how heat was controlled?
When Minster Casey was elected, why did she not see three communities in need, community members and parents working for their children, instead of three to ignore?
How many schools less than 70 are in her own riding?
Why did the Board not give an extra year as Minister Casey requested?
Why did Minster Casey not assign elected board members or community members –major stakeholders in any “Hub” Development on the Team designing Hub parameters?
Why did the CCRSB ask River John for FULL operating costs plus repairs? (This would create two-tier system of education. Hub meant starting at ground zero and shared costs.)
Why did Minster Casey not intervene then and say this was outrageous/impossible financial interpretation of HUB parameters?
Why did elected board members not ask more questions?
Who decided on the business case template used? There were others that may have been more users friendly and helpful to community.
Why were bus routes nor given until the night of the vote?
What is the protocol when an elected board member cannot attend for a vote?
Why didn't the absent member phone in her vote from home?
How was it that, when votes were taken and RJ was ahead Chair Thomson waited until the last to vote and then voted to make it a tie and therefore defeated the motion to reconsider closure.
Why did Chair Thomson say we could appeal and next day on radio Minister Casey said there was no pathway to appeal?
When will tangled politics not harm our children and their overall well being be put first? The “delivery of education” means nothing if context and community not taken into account.
MOST URGENT QUESTION NOW:
Is there any way our very youngest can stay in our community to be educated?
Could the CRRSB, Dept of Education and other departments work with our municipality to help us create an alternative way to deliver education in River John? At least for our youngest?
Premier MacNeil:
How can this community flourish and grow into a vibrant future without a place to educate our youngest?
Our school housed a pre-school, a recreation centre for seniors and youth and community meeting place. All along we said our Hub proposal would require new ways of thinking and working together –cooperation between departments within government and different levels of government.
There are more questions that need answers. We are ready NOW to work as we have been – for many years – for our children and community and all rural communities where schools are the HUB and the heartbeat and the future of a vibrant community.
