Pounding the pavement to save their school: Charlottetown parents not giving up yet

Parents at St. Jean Elementary in Charlottetown are taking to the streets to try and save their school. The downtown school was recently named one of five schools on the Island recommended to close.

• 5 school closures recommended in P.E.I. report on public schools

Since that announcement the parents and the Home and School committee have been using a grass roots approach to gather support. The group has planned a rally for this week and to get the word out about that they have been handing out and pinning up700 flyers around the city.

They have started an online petition, and put paper ones in shops, along withparents takingthem to their places of work. Volunteers have also been pounding the pavement, going door-to-door to gather signatures.

"I want to hear what the community has to say about itthe good, the bad and the ugly," said Home and School President Janna-Lynne Durant, explaining why the door-to-door was important.

"It's not just about me, everything that we've done has involved the community the parents and the Home and School. There's no 'I' here, it's 'we'. We stand together we work together. "

And it has been working.Durant said she expected to get 100 signatures, butshe estimates they've already got around 300. She said the response at the door has been mostly positive, as proven by some of the people they met on their route Monday night.

Community Behind Them

"My heart breaks when I think of these school closures," said resident Maureen Griffin.

"My children grew up in Vernon River and went to the same school from kindergarten to grade nine and theirschool was in a field. And I just think it`s so important for kids in this day andage to grow up in the community and to have their friends in the community that they live in."

The same concern for loss of community came up several times as Durant and her Vice President knocked on doors, whetherthe residents had children or not.

"I was really sad to hear it because it's a school that's right in our neighbourhood and I've had children come from the school selling things and they're always so polite," said neighbourEileenTanner."I've heard nothing but excellent things about the teachers and the school so I'm really sad to think that they might consider closing it."

The rally will be held on Wednesday, Jan.25at 6:30pm in the St Jean Elementary gym, but the work for Durant and her team won't stop there. They are planning to present a large report at the public meeting forthe Charlottetown Rural and Colonel Gray families. They are also going to request a meeting just for St. Jean with the Public Schools Branch, as they fear they may not be heard with the amount to be discussed about the rezoning within those families. The public meeting will be held Feb.1at 7pm at Colonel Gray High School.