Things get heated at public meeting on school closures in Madoc

Parents, teachers and members of the community attended the public meeting in the gym at Centre Hastings Secondary School. Photo by Mallory Day, QNet News

By Mallory Day

MADOC – Emotions ran high at a public meeting organized by the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board about a possible school closure and shifting students between schools

The crowd at the Madoc area schools public meeting. #QNetNews pic.twitter.com/ttXS6HDjWV

— Mallory Day (@mallory_day) January 18, 2017

Several angry and frustrated parents and teachers gathered at Centre Hastings Secondary School to express their opinions and concerns about the possible closure of Madoc Township Public School and relocation of its students to Madoc Public School this September. The board is also proposing to move students in Grade 7 and 8 from Madoc Public School to Centre Hastings Secondary.

Centre Hastings Mayor Tom Deline was there and said he wasn’t impressed with the proposal from the board.

“Taking out a public school is like taking out a part of the community,” said Deline.

Emma Stock, a parent of a Grade 7 student, said her son has autism and she’s concerned how he’ll deal with moving to the high school.

“I have a son in the autism program at Madoc Public School,” said Stock. “He is supposed to have had a full other year to transition over to the high school.”

She added: “I want to know what kind of programs will be available in the high school for him and other students like him. I want to know what that’s going to look like.”

According to the school board, Centre Hastings Secondary School has a capacity of 1,026 and currently has 553 students enrolled, Madoc Public School has a capacity of 392 with 362 enrolled, and Madoc Township has a capacity of 161 students and has 101 enrolled.