#Education
Target:
HWDSB
Region:
Canada
Website:
www.parksideworks.ca

The HWDSB has been given a mandate by the MOE to increase efficiency of schools throughout the Greater Hamilton Area in face of declining enrolment. They see the answer for Dundas, Ontario to be one large superschool rather than keeping the two existing high schools open.

There is strong community support to keep Parkside High School open, adjacent to the Dundas Driving Park in the heart of Dundas.

The reasons are many:

- Parkside's small real estate footprint keeps maintenance costs lower than any other high school in the HWDSB. A 100 year / $1 a year lease agreement with the city guarantees access to 26 acres of athletic and recreational facilities that includes daily school bus access. Any renovations necessary to accommodate more students are easily achievable. Parkside is the best-built building in the west ARC, has had the least maintenance costs over the last 10 years and also has the lowest projected renewal costs over the next 10 years, saving millions of taxpayers dollars.

- Parkside High School is a 5 minute walk to downtown Dundas. It would be a large loss to the local BIA and the community if students were relocated. There are many student coop opportunities and after school job prospects in downtown Dundas. It allows students to walk to school and independently participate in extracurricular activities, rather than depend on buses or parents.

- Parkside is the only high school in North America to sit so close to the Protected Areas of a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. This is a unique opportunity to create a Program of Choice in the fields of Natural and Environmental Sciences by exposing students to the Real World Learning this site can offer.

- Studies show that smaller school sizes have advantages over larger schools. They are more accessible for parents, students and teachers, so engender more involvement & satisfaction, in school, extra-curricularly and within the community. Higher graduation rates and academic achievement are common. Social problems such as bullying, crime and depression decrease.

For more information, visit www.parksideworks.ca

We, the undersigned, call on the HWDSB to keep Parkside High School open.

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The Keep Parkside High School open petition to HWDSB was written by Michelle Chin and is in the category Education at GoPetition.