BC: First They Close The Schools, Then They Party
James Miller, writing in the Penticton Herald, points out the hypocrisy of several Okanagan school trustees. Just days after crying poor and announcing several school closures, they're headed to Vancouver for a conference. From the Herald:
The B.C. School Trustees Association is hosting its three-day annual meeting (five days when you count travel time) at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Hotel in the heart of Vancouver.
SD67 (Penticton/Summerland and surrounding areas) is sending six of its seven trustees plus the superintendent and secretary/treasurer. This comes at a time when West Bench, Trout Creek and McNicoll Park Schools are scheduled to close their doors on June 30.
SD53 (Oliver/Osoyoos/Keremeos) has six of seven trustees going along with one staff member. This comes on the heels of voting to close Osoyoos Secondary School.
Meals, hotel rooms, mileage, and convention fees won’t add up to the savings of closing a school. That’s not the point. It’s the perception. If students have to suffer, so should those at the top.
This is one of two trustee junkets held annually in Vancouver, the other comes in November which gives delegates an early jump on their Christmas shopping.
As trustees continue to seek ways to find savings, start by sending only one representative (the board chair) to a one-day conference. Combine the two events to one convention.
If only common sense would prevail on these taxpayer-funded junkets...