$118K not enough to keep OSS open
By ROY WOOD
Not surprisingly, the modest school-funding break announced Tuesday by Linda Larson is not enough for the school district to reconsider its decision to close Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS).
In an interview this afternoon, Okanagan-Similkameen school board chair Marieze Tarr said: “The board did meet yesterday evening. … We looked at everything again, and unfortunately the savings from the ministry is not going to be enough to overcome the overwhelming financial pressures that we are facing.”
She was referring to $118,000 that the Boundary-Similkameen Liberal MLA unveiled at an outdoor news conference at the town hall. All members of Osoyoos council were on hand but not asked to participate.
Larson, who previously has stayed out of the controversy, urged the school board to use the money to help keep OSS open.
“Between the $118,102 in money that I have announced today, and other possibilities, such as using the property to generate other revenue, I believe we have a viable plan to keep (OSS) open,” she said.
The money is School District 53’s share of $25 million in “administrative savings” announced Tuesday for all districts across the province.
Word of the impending announcement leaked out on Monday afternoon and spread rapidly, mainly on social media, raising hopes in the community.
“Our board feels very badly for the community, for the parents, for the students, who once again have to go through this emotional roller coaster … all of a sudden being hopeful (and) thinking possibly the school could be open,” said Tarr.
The board will continue the process of closing OSS and transferring students to Southern Okanagan Secondary School in Oliver, she said.
Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff said today that she and the rest of council had no idea what exactly Larson was going to announce.
“I knew nothing about any of the details,” the mayor said in an interview. “(She asked) would I be there to support her, and I said, ‘Of course I will. That’s my job.’ But I didn’t know what was going to be said.”
As for the board’s decision, McKortoff said: “It doesn’t surprise me … because it was really a paltry amount of money.”
Larson had no comment on the board’s decision: “I have a meeting with them next Wednesday and I presume they will tell me that at that time. I can’t comment of what they’ve done so far.”
Tarr said the $118,000 will go directly to frontline services for students.
That will include putting back secondary level teaching hours that were trimmed in the recent budget process. “There will be more teacher time for students at the secondary level, which means more academic opportunities for students at the secondary level,” she said.
“The remainder of the money … will go for school supplies and services in the schools. So it will all be dedicated to students and to frontline services, which we believe the ministry was clear on. That was the intent of where the savings should be directed.”