GuelphToday received the following letter from parents concerned about the safety of high school boundary review options.
We are writing to express our concern about the options that the Upper Grand District School Board is proposing for the high school boundary review.
In all seven options presented by the board, students from Taylor Evans and Gateway are being sent to Centennial instead of Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute (GCVI).
While we understand the need for a new high school and how that will involve a review of boundaries, we do not understand why the school board thinks it is safe for students to travel across two highways to get to school.
Currently students from this neighbourhood (west of Highway 6 and north of Highway 124/7) are designated to go to GCVI. This involves students crossing Highway 6 at Paisley Road, which is dangerous enough, however, it is a residential street with a slower speed limit and sidewalks.
There is also a city bus that goes directly from the neighbourhood on Paisley Road stopping in front of GCVI.
The school board might state that students who live a certain distance away from school will be eligible for a school bus. It is our understanding that families from this neighbourhood will not be provided a school bus.
Furthermore, even if there was a bus, we know that a) sometimes students miss the bus, b) sometimes buses are late and families would prefer alternate options for transportation, c) sometimes students have before and after school activities and need to get themselves to school, d) sometimes students want to walk/bike with their friends.
The school board’s website states that goals include: “champion health and well being, ensure equity of access and outcomes, and lead through sustainability”.
Surely, students being able to use safe, equitable, and active transportation speaks to these goals.
We are asking the school board to consider the safety of students travelling by walking/biking along Highway 124/7, which is an overpass across Highway 6 from Imperial Road to Edinburgh Road.
It is a highway with a speed limit of 60 km/hr, and we know that vehicles travel much faster than that. It is a route for transport trucks going from city to city. It does not have dedicated bike lanes or convenient sidewalks.
It is an accident waiting to happen.
Furthermore, families with means will likely be able to drive and drop off/pick up their children. It is the families who have less access to resources who will really suffer from this decision.
We are asking the board to consider alternate options for this boundary review that do not involve students from this neighbourhood going to Centennial.
We have filled in the survey, sent emails, gone to the open houses and spoken to representatives, and we have learned that the board may be looking at alternate options but are unclear about public consultation on this.
We are asking the school board to consider logistics and safety of all students getting to school in the new boundary review options and to ensure there is transparency and public consultation.
Jodi Hocken
Katie Nasswetter
Jackie Hammond
Scott Grasley
Michelle Garon-Nielsen
Meghan McCoy
