Attention News Editors
For Immediate Release
Parkdale Home & School Concerned and Speaking Out For the Future of Parkdale Elementary School
Charlottetown, February 21, 2009 — The Parkdale Home and School Association is organizing and speaking out about the future of Parkdale Elementary School in response to the school’s proposed closure by the Eastern School Board.
The Home and School Association is gravely concerned about the Eastern School Board’s School Closure Plan and has identified many errors, inaccuracies and contradictions about the facilities and programs available at Parkdale which call into question the recommendations about the future of Parkdale School.
"We are deeply concerned that the information in the report used to recommend closing Parkdale is wrong and doesn’t paint an accurate picture for trustees or the public about what is available to students and the community at Parkdale. Flawed information leads to flawed decisions," says Lisa MacLaren, Vice President of the Parkdale Home and School Association.
MacLaren said that the Home and School Assocation will be busy over the next few months working to bring attention to the errors about Parkdale School contained in the School Closure Report and make the public more aware of the advantages that Parkdale School offers to students and the community. Some of the ways this will be done are through making presentations at public meetings; creating a website,http://saveparkdaleschool.blogspot.com; distribution of brochures; a door to door canvass of the area by volunteers and lobbying public officials.
Some of the misleading information about Parkdale School in the report which will be highlighted are:
- inaccurate and misleading information about projected population declines
- ignoring their award winning physical education program as well as the school’s new, state of the art gymnasium built in 2002 at a cost of $1.3 million dollars.
- not acknowledging students will lose significant programs and facilities if forced to move
- under rating their full complement of programs and specialist teachers for French, art, music, and students with special needs.
- ignoring their unique three acres of city green space that includes a new playground, a full baseball diamond and valuable space for future development
- downplaying the significance of safety issues addressed by their unique off street parking lot for buses and parents and the increased safety issues associated with the alternatives proposed.
- Lack of consideration of community and economic impacts of school closure.
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For more information contact:
Lisa MacLaren
Vice President, Parkdale Home and School Association
(902) 566-4259
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