Woodbridge parents protest plans to convert elementary school to French immersion

CP24.com
By Chris Herhalt
Sept. 6, 2016

Parents of students at St. John Bosco Catholic Elementary School held a demonstration on Tuesday morning, protesting the schoolboard’s plans to convert their school to French immersion and send students to another school one kilometre away.

Parents and students gathered at the school, near Langstaff and Weston roads, carrying signs and wearing T-shirts saying “Save St. John Bosco.”

“They want to move us to another school that is in a tighter subdivision, so that means more traffic walking and more traffic by cars,” parent Leanna Santorsola told CTV Toronto.

Students who want English instruction will be transferred to St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Elementary school, located about a 12-minute walk or three-minute drive away.

The move is part of a pupil accommodation review by York Catholic District School Board, which aims to close one school in the board to consolidate space amid falling enrolment.

Parent Linda Calabros says her son, who has autism, has really started to hit his stride at St. John Bosco, which offers a specialized program for students with autism and other special needs.

“My son has made friends here he’s comfortable with the surroundings, he’s comfortable with his teachers and even to try to talk to him about moving to another school is very upsetting.”

The board has said it will move the autism and special needs program to St. Gabriel the Archangel.

In a written statement, the York Catholic District School Board said it understands the review is difficult on parents and students who are attached to their home school, but it must “address declining enrolment and underutilized schools to ensure it is using all funding effectively to support student learning and achievement.”

The Board says it has 6,000 empty student spaces which cost $5.5 million to keep per year.

A community meeting is scheduled for next week and the Board will make its final decision on the future of St. John Bosco in October.