In the Regina School Board's 10 year Renewal Plan, Herchmer school is slated to be closed in June 2008. The School Board were present to hear from the community. Groups or individuals were asked to notify the board if they wished to make a presentation. The Trustees were present to listen to the community, and though they did not respond to questions, they said they would discuss and provide answers to all questions at a later date.
Here are some snippets of the comments and questions from the meeting:
"Thank you for all you do for children in this community". Russ Marchuk, Chair, Regina Public School Board
"We [the elected board members] are responsible to the entire system not to the particular community." Russ Marchuk
"You are closing the heart of our community." Charlene Head, President, Herchmer School Community Council
"This is a family school. ...To lose it would be like a death and you know how death affects children." Janet Mahengan, grandparent
"With residential schools you took kids away from their communities, and now you are doing it again. You're forcing us to send our kids to schools away from our communities." Denise, parent
"The kids at Herchmer are surrounded in a native community where they are not shy to learn their culture and language. If you take them away from here where will they get it from? There is enough taken away from these kids. It is time to give something back, give them their school." Denise, parent
"You don't know what you're sending these kids into by closing the school. Think of the kids, that is all I ask." Janet Mahengan, grandparent
"This may be a good plan - for the suburbs....this plan erodes the model of a sustainable community." Leif, parent.
As well, RealRenewal presented the board with a list of questions.
Click here to see the questions, or send us your questions by filling out our contact form.