More pressure to keep Widdifield open

Another candidate for trustee for the Near North board has called for a halt to the closing of Widdifield Secondary.

"It is my belief that school councils have always been well-intentioned, well-informed and well-educated, " said Frank O'Hagan in a news release. "All great reasons as well as ongoing partners to warrant more inclusiveness and collaboration now and over the next four years. My position has been to pause and halt the current decision on Widdifield’s closing and begin from the start with a different set of eyes and perspectives."

Last week candidate Jay Aspin also called for a halt.

See: Candidate wants total review of Widdifield closure

"It would also be wise to move the students from grades 7/8 from Fricker to WSS and make each of the North Bay high schools 7-12  a program having a positive initiative and impact on staff and a support for students in their transition from elementary to secondary," O'Hagan, a former trustee on the Catholic board continued.

"I believe there can be three healthy high schools in the city of  North Bay and by making them all 7-12  and by also adding more community partnerships these can and be feasible action plans."

O'Hagan believes data demonstrates that this can be done but adds it's important to view this data without bias.

"Unfortunately, this was not done in the past round of ARC discussions. Some trustees and the director were very much in favour of the super school concept which is not what the community wants or is warranted."