FEATURED COMMENT – This is no time for fancy new versions of portables

Re: Editorial – There’s an alternative to building more and more schools

If a community wants steady economic growth, that means increases of families — which in turn means more children in schools. So unless you are encouraging limited or no local economic growth, perhaps quoting past school enrollment fluctuations is not a great idea.

There are also many reasons that children may not enrol in local schools for temporary reasons, such as a pandemic. This does not mean that we should overlook the pressing demand for safe, updated schools in our community.

Yes, the cost of such buildings are astronomical (and ridiculous), but it doesn’t make them any less necessary. Aging buildings must be brought up to code, not replaced with ‘movable schools’.

Many local children have attended or are currently attending a school with: insufficient heating/ cooling /air purification or unsafe, outdated plumbing / electrical or buildings with outdated, unsafe, broken foundations/ stair rails, or buildings with little to no handicap access.

It’s not time to find fancy new versions of portables! Its time to give our children the safe learning environments that they deserve!

JENNIFER MARSHALL