Despite pleas from two trustees, the Upper Canada District School Board has voted to close both Maynard and Benson Public Schools.
Benson will close this coming September. Regional Trustee Lisa Swan put forward a motion to remove Benson from the list of closures, but was defeated by a vote of 7-4.
Swan argued that the Cardinal school currently has the lowest operational cost for the board across the region thanks to the free supply of heat from neighbours Cardinal Power. The Township of Edwardsburgh-Cardinal also offered free water and sewage utilities in exchange for keeping the school in the community.
Despite the acknowledgement that the Edwardsburgh-Cardinal area has had a population growth of 2% since 2011, the low and declining enrolment at Benson of just 82 students was the deciding factor in voting to close the school.
Maynard Public School in Augusta Township will close at a date to be determined, and is subject to the approval of an addition at Wellington Public School, where Maynard’s 237 students will be accommodated.
Trustee John McAllister put forward the motion to remove Maynard from the list of closures as well, but was similarly defeated by a vote of 7-3.
Maynard was chosen to close based on the dilapidating condition of the building. Board Chair Jeff McMillan says it would cost more to fix Maynard than it would to build a brand new school.
Maynard is ranked as the board’s worst school based on facility condition, with McMillan citing the septic system as one of the many aspects nearing the end of its life. Superintendents for the region reassured that there is no present danger to the staff and students at the school, but they need to have the plan in place for when the building does become inhabitable.
McMillan stated that the decision to close Maynard, which sits at 62% capacity, is “against the building, not the school”. Augusta Mayor Doug Malanka offered the township’s land directly beside the school as the site for a possible build of a new school, but McMillan was adamant the board would not get approval for a rebuild.
Maynard’s students will be moving to Wellington Public School in Prescott, which currently sits at 95% capacity, thus the need for an addition. The board said capital rebuilds and additions are expected to be announced by the Ministry of Education sometime in the late Spring.
The schools are just two of 12 across the UCDSB that were voted for closure, five of which are in Leeds and Grenville.