Colborne and Holmesville Schools will pass into the history books on the last day of classes in June 2013.
Avon Maitland District School Board trustees voted 7-1 in favour of the Staff Option that recommends shuttering both schools and dispersing students to Goderich and Clinton — with others going to Brookside Elementary.
In debating the motion — trustees indicated they found the figures presented to be compelling.
Others argued the opportunities for a positive educational experience would be enhanced in the new configuration.
Trustee Al Sygrove was the only representative to side with those advocating the Rural Option proposed by Holmesville parents.
Sygrove stated he empathized with the school communities — saying closing Holmesville Public is too much of a hit in the context of recent events and economic casualties.
Avon Maitland Board Chair Jenny Versteeg indicated earlier in Tuesday’s meeting that the Ministry of Education had nixed a Colborne parent proposal outright, thus taking it off the table.
That plan would have built a brand new elementary school for the student populations of Brookside, Colborne and Holmesville.
The Ministry said that couldn’t be considered as long as the board has excess capacity at its other schools.
Avon Maitland Superintendent Mike Ash, who guided the Staff Option to passage, says final catchment boundaries will now be determined.
Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn, in whose municipality Holmesville Public School is located, believes trustees were too focused on the overall bottom-line and missed the message from local ratepayers.
Superintendent Ash says the next step will be to establish transition committees in both the Colborne and Holmesville communities this coming September.
The superintendent says the transition committees help with what is a very real “grieving process” following the closure of any school.
He says students generally adapt well to new environments.
Versteeg says the closures not only make financial sense, they will make for better student opportunities.
