McDougall Public School in Parry Sound will remain open – at least for another year – as per a decision made by the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) at its March 18 meeting.
There’s a new school being built in Parry Sound, a near $60 million project that many within the community have deemed the ‘mega-school.’ It’s replacing The Parry Sound High School, and the government’s plan was to close McDougall Public School and Nobel Public School and send those kids to the new mega-school, which would house kindergarten to grade 12 students.
See: New high school in Parry Sound moving forward
However, this mega-school isn’t mega enough, as some NNDSB trustees are concerned there isn’t enough space for all the students.
The motion laid out by trustees Jeanie Fuscaldo and Howard Wesley made it clear: “The intention to keep McDougall Public School operational is based on the board’s need for facility space to ensure student safety and well-being.”
Trustees had already voiced concerns to the Ministry of Education, emphasizing a strong desire among parents within the community to keep McDougall’s doors open. The school board sent a letter to the ministry, asking for its support as the board made a decision. The board asked the government to respond by February to allow plans to be made for the fall of 2025.
That deadline came and went with no letter from the Ministry reaching the board’s desk. However, on St. Patrick’s Day, the NNDSB’s Director of Education Craig Myles did receive a letter from the ministry. That letter, Myles noted, asked the board to defer any decisions.
So, the board was in a bind, with the clock ticking and the ministry non-responsive to the board’s requests for guidance. Trustee Wesley noted the importance of deciding in a timely manner, “Because our students and staff are looking for this decision to be made for the next calendar school year.”
Board Chair Ashley St. Pierre also expressed concerns about the timeline, and her disappointment about the ministry’s lack of response to the board. She asked, “How come Director Myles got a response from the Ministry, but our letter from the board has not received a response?”
“I have no answer to that, with all due respect,” Myles said. However, he clarified, “As you know I have continuously been lobbying the Ministry to respond, and we’ve had many meetings with them, and I do not have an answer to that question.”
St. Pierre emphasized, “If you get a response from your letter, we should be getting a response from our letter.” She continued, “Here we are asking the ministry about a change, but the ministry is not responding to us.”
St. Pierre said, “It’s a little frustrating. And I’m from the Parry Sound area, and I’ve heard parents, and I hear the community, and I know what their concerns are – that school is not big enough.” To make matters worse, St. Pierre noted that the portables and “edu-pods” that are already being brought in to handle the overflow at the new mega-school are on backorder.
Lacking guidance from above, the trustees decided to take the reins and decide what to do with McDougall at the board level.
Trustee Bill Steer cautioned the board before the vote – “I think we need to defer this.”
Steer continued, “We’re going to get ourselves in a lot of governance trouble. We’re going to get ourselves in a lot of funding trouble. Where’s the money coming from? To run that school is probably between $5 and $10 million and we’re already running a deficit.”
Steer emphasized, “We need to hear from them [the ministry] first before we react.”
That didn’t happen, and the board voted to keep McDougall Public School open for the 2025 / 2026 school year. It was a recorded call for the vote. Trustees Caren Gagne and Steer voted against the motion. Trustees Shane Hall, Chantal Philips, Louise Sargent, Fuscaldo, Julie Betram, Shane Hall, St. Pierre, and Wesley were all in favour.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.