SCHOOL BOARD ‘NOT AUTONOMOUS"
Only the minister can close schools

Dear Editor: _

The issue of your paper
published on Saturday,
March 26, 1983 carried a
story with respect to the
proposal for the closing of
certain elementary schools
in the West Vancouver
School district and _ the
transfer of grade 7 students
Into secondary = schools.
Some statéments in the story
misinterpret the facts of the
matter and others require
clarification.

Secretive

Dear Editor:

If Alderman Stella Jo
Dean is frustrated by the in-
camera meetings of the City

‘council, she should attend a

North Vancouver School
Trustees meeting. The
practice of making decisions
on minor, let alone major
issues in closed sessions is
one that the School Trustees
cling to for dear life. With
one notable exception. Dr.
Ross Regan has been trying
hard to bring the discussion
of public issues out imto the

public, but it’s an uphill

battle.
Now the Trustees have

gone a step further.

Chairman Joe advised ‘the
gallery at the last meeting
that no questions could be
asked during the piddling 5
minutes allowed for question
period (invariably at the tail
end of the meeting when
most folks are already in bed
and asleep) unless they
referred to items on the
agenda of that mecting.
From now on it seems that
the Trustees will dictate
even which questions may be
asked simply by devising an
agenda that will permit or
prohibit them. Is this what
we clect a School Board for?
Is Unis the accountability and

responsiblility to the
clectorate that we were
promised?

In the last four months, |
have yet to hear a question
receive an informed = or
satisfactory answer. “When
in doubt, mumble” scems to
be the motto of our Board
Chairman. He is not entirely
to blame, he gets precious
Inde help from his well paid
administrative staff and cvcn
less from at least five of the
seven trustees. Trustees
Regan and Smelovsky at
least do their homework.
Others appear more in
tcrested in moving motions
to censuré the actions of
politicians whose job ts to
represent the majority.

It ts time for the School
Board to respect the inicrest
of those who attend = the
mectings and respond to
thetr questions,’ whether or
not the issuc is an agenda

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I must note that section 4

2 ego

the initiative for such a move

may emanate from the
School Board, the Board is
not autonomous in this
respect. To suggest other-
wise is to be ignorant of this
fundamental provision in the
School Act.

When a school is to be
closed with inconsequential

ra

trustees

item. It is time for more
communication between the
School Board and the people
who care. The School Board
should not become a “secret
society”.

Lf you really want to be
frustrated, you have to be
there in person. Watch the
elected in action. See how
efficiently a School Board
meeting can be run by
Trustees who are responsible

for. $53 million of your .

dollars. Listen to the clever
comments about why
Victoria-bashing is more
productive than fiscal
restraint at the local level.
Try it for one meeting. You
may even want to vote in the
next School Board election
just to get rid of the same old
tired faces behind the rubber
stainp.

The next School Board
mectings are scheduled for

April 12, April 26 and May

10 at 7:30 pm at the School
Board office. Don’t take my
word for it, go yourself and
shake your own head in
disbelicf. ;

Doug Vincent
North Vancouver

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> bg

Fesults, for example in the
‘ease of drastically reduced
enrolment, the authorizahon
is easily granted. In West
five
schoolsaretobe closed which
may have a serious impact
on many families and on the
educational opportunities of
hundreds of elementary
school children. In such
circumstances, a careful
review of the proposal by the
Minister is indicated because
regulations for the
exercise -of his authority
require that the Board show
to the sausfaction of the
Minister that the action
requested ts necessary and
the residents of the area
have been made aware of the
need.

In fulfilling*’his “respon-
sibility, the Minister of
Education met with the West
Vancouver School Board on

March 10, 1983 and with
representatives of parents
whose children were to be
affected on March 24, 1983.
Neither of these meetings
were secret.

In the discharge of his —
statutory obligation, the -
Minister of Education must -

consider all points of view. It
would be irresponsible to
suggest that the Minister
should decide an issue as
important as this having
heard only one point of
view.

It occurs to me that if the
plan of the School Board is
So meritorious, then the four
members of the Board who
did not acknowledge bias
would welcome the fullest

examination by the Minister.
‘hi

Allan W

Attorney General

MLA West Van-Howe
Sound

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