Residents rally to save Rideau High
Posted Nov 27, 2009 By Jessica Hinds
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EMC News - With a decision on the proposed closure of Rideau High School scheduled for December, stakeholders presented a unified voice of support for the school on Tuesday Nov. 17, at a rally to save the Vanier high school. 
Rideau High School alumni Michelle Sirois tells the audience why she thinks Rideau needs to stay open while fellow alumni Cynthia Caldwell who also spoke at the rally looks on.
Rideau-Rockliffe Coun. Jacques Legendre and Ottawa-Carleton District School board trustee for Rideau-Rockliffe/Alta-Vista Bronwyn Funiciello organized the rally held in the Rideau High School auditorium.
"If you're interested in protesting the closure of Rideau we're here to suggest ways that you might be effective in that - but it's up to you," said Legendre.
"The idea of tonight's meeting is to consider the impact of what closure of Rideau might mean. I contend that as a city councillor it has a meaning for the community even if you have no children here at the school at all," he said noting the community benefits of the auditorium and sporting facilities housed at the school.
Funiciello said that as a trustee she had a responsibility to look at all the options and sometimes the best one was to close a school. However, "it does not make sense to close Rideau High School," she said in one of the many statements in support of the high school met with loud applause that night.
Funiciello explained that the process of looking at the possible closure of Rideau began 18 months ago when an accommodation review committee began a study to examine declining enrolment at three schools. The study examined Gloucester High School, Colonel By Secondary School and Rideau High School. The committee comprised of representatives from these three schools as well as community members met over nine months. They reported to the school board in June that none of the schools should be closed. However, school board staff recommended the closure of Rideau in October.
On Monday Nov. 23 the community will have a chance to voice their concerns to the school board. In order to speak to the board requests had to be made by Thursday Nov. 19. Additionally, presentations will be limited to four minutes.
The debate of the recommendation will take place on Dec. 7 and school board trustees have until Dec. 15 to finalize their decisions.
"We need to show my colleagues at the school board that this community cares about Rideau and this community does not want Rideau High School to close," said Funiciello of the Nov. 23 meeting.
If it is perceived that the community does not care, "this is a done deal for sure," said Legendre.
Funiciello said that it was important to highlight Rideau's accomplishments. "We need to celebrate that the boys' volleyball and soccer teams were city champions." She added that Rideau High School's applied level students are outperforming applied level students across the district and the province.
The Rideau childcare centre, which has been in place for 21 years, was another resource Funiciello said needed to be protected. For one parent the loss of his son's daycare was a primary concern. He said he was also worried about the community loosing resources such as English as a Second Language classes which his wife took at Rideau High School in preparation for university.
School board trustee for Rideau-Vanier/Capital Rob Campbell is in favour of keeping Rideau High School open. While the school is not in his zone a number of students in his zone go there.
"In this case the arguments are fairly clearly in favour of keeping Rideau open in my view," said Campbell.
"If we took this school out it would blow a large geographic hole in our coverage of the district as a board."
Campbell expressed a point that was reiterated by many of the students who spoke that night - that Rideau's small size was an asset. "The literature shows that smaller schools tend to help those in more challenged communities," he said.
Osgoode High School has a similarly small population and the board is not concerned about the size of that school as they say it adequately serves the population, said Campbell.
One of the many students to lend their voice to the rally was Eric Kabasele who is in grade 10. He highlighted the community spirit at the school. "Rideau means family," he said.
"This is where I belong and this is my home."
While students past and present made up a large portion of the night's speakers, community members also came to show their support.
One such community member said that the closure debate was more than a matter of numbers but should be focused on the effect it would have on students.
"This school is one of the best neighbours I've ever had," he added.
