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It is time that the school boards are held accountable for discriminatory practices.

Published

9 years ago

4 minute read

Recently, the province stepped up and provided funding for the expansion on St. Patrick’s school in Highland Green, just north of the river. The school’s enrolment was 30% over capacity, a kindergarten class was being taught in a hallway, and students and families were paying the price.
Further to the north at Johnstone Park, a school destined for an 8 acre site, there was switched to a site south of the river and the 8 acre site was turned into a park.
There has not been a school built north of the river since 1985, perhaps that could explainwhy schools are at 130% capacity and classes are held in hallways. There is no high schools north of the river, even though up to 40% of the population resided there. Could be why 777 more residents moved out of the north side and out of the city than moved into the area. Remember there are 4 high schools south of the river with 2 more planned. There are no high schools planned for the north side of the river even with thousands of acres north of 11a coming up for development and 25,000 more residents planned.
The Ministry of Education says they follow the direction of the local school boards.
What do the school board trustees, past and present have to say? Well I have been told that they build where city tells them they can build. The city, apparently, decided that the only place they can build new high schools is south of the river and by 67 Street and 30 Avenue. 5 high schools along 30 Ave.
There is thousands of acres of land available north of 11a. There is currently no high school in Blackfalds. There will be 55,000 residents in Red Deer living north of the river, but no high school is planned. There is a plan for a high school to be built in Blackfalds in the next 2 years. The population of Blackfalds is about 9328, which saw an increase of 700 residents last year, while the city saw 777 residents leave the north side and 975 leave the city in total.
Can the school board trustees and chairpersons, past and present from both school boards explain how this occurred? Families are not going to move to areas without schools. You do not build schools as promised, then families will move out of the areas.
Schools are planned and never built, like Johnstone Park. High schools are never planned, so teenagers are forced to make long commutes during rush hour traffic, denied the flexibility in extra-curricular activities. Young families are laden with extra time and expense commitments, because of decisions made by school boards.
Will the school board, trustees, chairs, (past and present) as well as the candidates in the upcoming election this October address this issue?
Perhaps the city councillors and mayors, (past and present) as well as the those candidates in the upcoming election could address this issue?
The discrimination against the residents living north of the river has been covered over and hidden for far too long, it needs to be addressed. Would you not agree.

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Sarah Rogers’ comments draw a new line in the sand between America’s First Amendment and Europe’s tightening grip on online speech.

Speaking during an appearance on The Liz Truss Show, Rogers said Washington intends to respond to the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom after it sought to bring the website 4chan under its jurisdiction.
She said the situation “forced” the US to defend its constitutional protections, warning that “when British regulators decree that British law applies to American speech on American sites on American soil with no connection to Britain,” the matter can no longer be ignored.
Rogers called it “a perverse blessing” that the dispute is forcing a renewed transatlantic conversation about free expression, observing that “Britain and America did develop the free speech tradition together.”
Rogers announced that the State Department will soon publish a collection of previously unreleased internal emails and documents describing earlier US government involvement in social media moderation efforts.
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