Closure of Stuart Wood challenged

NEWS/ SCHOOLS — A downtown residents group is challenging the legal authority of the Kamloops School Board to shut down the historic Stuart Wood elementary school.

Board members of the Downtown West End Residents Association met with reporters in front of the school Wednesday to announce that a letter has been sent to school trrustees about their decision to close Stuart Wood Elementary.

Acting DWERA president Bruce Thompson outlined the main reason behind the action: a fair and transparent consultation with the public regarding the school closure.

Regardless of the ultimate fate of the school, a fair consultation process that would allow concerned citizens, residents’ associations such as DWERA and business owners in the downtown core to express their opinions and have their ideas heard by the school board before a final decision is made should be part of the process, said Thompson.

According to the letter that was sent to the board by Micah B. Rankin, lawyer with Jensen Law Corporation, the closure of Stuart Wood, which was communicated in a meeting that took place June 23, 2014, is legally invalid, arguing that “The Board’s process did not comply with the School Act, Ministerial Order 194/04, or its own closure policy.”

One of the goals of this action, DWERA board director Jenny Reid emphasized, is to keep processes such as the Stuart Wood closure transparent and fair, and the school board accountable for its actions, which she said would be a benefit not only to downtown Kamloops residents but to all of Kamloops citizens.

According to the letter submitted by Rankin, “DWERA is respectfully requesting a response from the District and/or Board on or before Dec. 1, 2014.”