Parents upset about possible Ross School closure

At a meeting with the school board Monday, parents accused the Prairie South School Division of using misleading figures to attempt to close Ross School.
According to school division figures, school maintenance costs per student are almost 50 per cent higher than the division's $737 average.
The school average is based on 110 neighbourhood students and does not include the 190 French immersion and English as a Second Language students who are taken to Ross School by bus.
"This is a sham," said one parent. "You're not counting two-thirds of the students."
Board chairman Gord Stewart said the 190 students can be easily put in other city schools. "We have excess capacity in almost every one of our city schools."
But the school met three other criteria to be reviewed for possible closure:
‰Without the bused-in students, only 34 per cent of the school is occupied.
‰Enrolment has declined an average 9.5 per cent annually since 2002.
‰Enrolment is at less than 175 students, without the bused students.
Several of the 70 parents attending said the board has made up its mind about closure or that parents do not have enough time to prepare alternatives.
Stewart emphasized no decisions have been made on any of the seven schools under review.
"We are here to hear your suggestions on the options."
The board meets Thursday to determine the fate of seven schools.
Ross community school council president Rosemary Schick pleaded to keep the school open with ESL classes and French immersion.
With many different ethnic, cultural and economic backgrounds in the neighbourhood Ross "runs like a family unit."
Ross students and community openly accept other languages and cultures creating a "rich environment, Schick said.
"I ask you to remember the impact a school has on the kind of person you become."
Another parent said moving low-income ESL students to a school like Palliser Heights "would ruin their lives."
No one from the division had numbers saying how much money would be saved from closing Ross School.
During the meeting, Realtor Debbie Cowan said closing King Edward School in the 1990s cut house values in that area until Cornerstone Christian School was established.
Stewart disagreed with the assertion the school closure would reduce property values.
The board faces a $5.7 million deficit, said Stewart. Legally, the board can't run a deficit, which is why it is considering the closures.
"We have a clear message that a mill rate increase (on property taxes) is unacceptable."
When challenged on the comment that seven of the previous school divisions that were combined to make Prairie South ran deficits, Stewart said they drew down cash reserves instead of raising taxes before amalgamation in 2006.