Ontario's public school boards are calling on the province to lift a moratorium on school closures and to finally complete a review - started six years ago - of how those closure decisions get made.
The previous Liberal government first promised the review and enacted the moratorium in 2017, when it was under fire from the Opposition Progressive Conservatives and parents over school closures. Some families, particularly those from rural areas, advocated at the time for the moratorium, saying school closures “tear a hole” in the heart of a community.
“For a long time, for months, we've been told, 'yep, they're still looking at it,”' president Cathy Abraham said in an interview.Education Minister Stephen Lecce's office did not answer questions on whether the review has been completed or if the moratorium will be lifted.“Our government is delivering $14 billion to upgrade existing schools and build new state-of-the-art schools across Ontario with a focus on STEM learning, improved accessibility and technology.
Mitzie Hunter, the Liberal education minister who announced the moratorium, said it wasn't meant to be in place for six years. In the spring of 2017, Hunter as education minister said there were 43 reviews involving 300 schools potentially on the chopping block at the time, and that in the 2016-17 academic year, boards decided to close 19 schools.
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