Unease as Sudbury school board considers closing Valley East middle school

Parents in Sudbury, Ont.'s Valley East area are concerned their kids will be sent to high school too early if a proposal to close their local middle school goes ahead.

"High school is, you know, a place for all of those kids to finally feel like they can be themselves," parent Jamie Roque told CBC News.

"But [grade] sevenand eightstudents, they need to still be sheltered a little bit."

Roque made the comments at an accommodation review meeting held by the Rainbow District School Board on Thursday evening to discuss possible changes to Valley East's schools.

The board is proposing to close Pinecrest Public School, send Grade 6 students back to Redwood Acres Elementary School, and move Grades 7 and 8 students to Confederation Secondary School.

"It's concerning because we have no idea what the future looks like," said Roque, who sits on Pinecrest's parent council and has a son in Grade 6.

"As of right now, we come over. We take over a couple of classrooms and that's it."

Board would apply for funding to modify Confederation Secondary School

Pinecrest is one of 12 schools that areon the chopping block because of declining enrolment and the rainbow board's $3.6 million funding shortfall.

If the recommendations to close schools are passed, the board will make designated entrances for Grade 7 and 8 students at Confederation Secondary School, according to director of education Norm Blaseg.

The board will also apply for provincial funding to modify Confederation Secondary School and add a gym, he said.

"Of course, we're always susceptible to the ministry [of education] saying yes or no," Blaseg said.

"It would be our hope that they would say yes because we want the kids to have every opportunity going forward to enjoy what every one else has."

Some positions at Pinecrest may be lost if the school is shut down, such as secretaries and principals, Blaseg said.

"Sometimes there will be some reductions, but it's a little early to tell at this stage," he said.

A decision on the future of rainbow's schools will be made on February 7.