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You may use this letter if you wish or create your own in your own words. It is recommended that you create a letter in your own words.
October 2001
(Enter trustee's name here),
I am a resident in the area of R.A. Hutchison Public School in Whitby. It has been brought to my attention the Durham District School Board is intending to close this facility and send our children to Leslie McFarlane Public School on Garden Street.
I am opposed to this happening because I am concerned for the safety of our children on having to cross at such a busy intersection during rush hour. Im concerned about how this will impact our community. Im concerned about the potential for vandalism at the school if left vacant and the effect on our properties if a local school is not located in out neighbourhood.
The school is at the heart of our community. Please consider adding your voice to ours as we seek other options with the D.D.S.B rather than closing the school.
Sincerely,
Example 2)
I am writing this letter as a concerned parent and community member in thearea of R.A. Hutchison. I am quite concerned that you the trustee's have putforth a proposal to close R.A. Hutchison as of July 2002. I want to bring to
your attention a matter to which you should really look into and that is the Safety Factor first of Children. Your plan is to move our children to attend Leslie McFarlane. This is a very unwise decision on the Trustee's behalf as
it shows a blatant reluctance to our children's safety. As you are aware McFarlane is located on the north/west side of Garden St. past Mary St.thus forcing the children in our area to cross first four lanes of Garden St. and then another Four lanes of Hwy 2. Then as they walk further down the road they have to cross 2 more lanes at Mary St. I know you will use the reasoning that the area is well maintained by our local police, so I thought I would throw a loop into this theory. Why do you think this area is maintained by our local police. It is not because it is SAFE but because it is a dangerous area for children to cross.
Also if your proposal is enacted upon, another safety reason would come about and that is the issue regarding the passing of Pringle Creek. As you are aware, since you were children once yourselves, the enticement of such an attraction to children to explore the unknown could result in tragedy especially during envirmental flood warnings. The enticement of these dangers cost the lives of countless children every year, Do you want this on your conscious?
Before closing R.A. Hutchison lets look at other avenues that have been overlooked ( or through very careful planning it has been in the works since Hutchison made the short list of schools to be closed in 1996 to benefit
your numbers.)
Why are children in our area being accepted in other schools in the areathat are already over capacity according to your numbers?
School MRC FTE
Portables
Leslie McFarlane Capacity 360 -Enrolled 419 - portables 2
CE Broughton Capacity 365.5 -Enrolled 509 - portables 4
F.M Heard Capacity 196 -Enrolled 217 -portables 2
K. Rowe Capacity 246.5 -Enrolled 320 -portables 3
These numbers are facts supplied by the Durham District School Board Planning Department.
The solution looks quite simple to me. Stop allowing children that are inthe R.A Hutchison Zoning to opt to other schools that are over capacity already.
Why not do the most logical thing. Instead of spending millions on new schools, why not invest some that money in the older schools and bring them up to date. It would save money as it's lot cheaper to renovate then to build.
Give R.A. Hutchison back its Special Needs program. Which school did this Program get moved to? Looking at my figures from DDSCPD none of the schools mentioned had the capacity to house them.
I have many other points to make but will stop for now and leave you with this thought.
If R.A. Hutchison is closed and our children are forced to attend Leslie McFarlane would your conscious be able to accept a child being KILLED at the intersection of Garden and Hwy 2 when you knew you had the power to vote to
stop such a tragedy.
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