Stop selling off community spaces, parents tell TDSB

Residents near Buttonwood Park say their kids will suffer if the Toronto District School Board moves ahead with its plans to sell off more of itsproperty.

• TDSB cuts 100 teaching positions due to declining enrolment

"We were about to buy a home within walking distance of the school, so those plans are basically off the table now," resident Fabio Mangiapane told CBC News.

While the Buttonwood campus near Eglinton Avenue and Royal York Road in Etobicoke hasn't served as a public school for decades, the facility is home to a private daycare and an Italian montessori.

Mangiapaneenvisioned the campusas an education hub for his 5-year-old sonDavide, who already attendsLearning Jungle Buttonwood Daycare andwill be joining the montessori, LeonardoDa Vinci Academy, in September.

TDSB looking to sell off 21 properties

Now, the building's fate is unclear,as it'sone of the 21 properties that may soon be price-tagged for sale.

The property sales are part of an effort to take some pressure off of the board's $3.3 billion maintenance backlog.

The TDSBheld a community consultation Tuesday night to discuss the potential sell-off of the Buttonwood campus with local residents.

If it is sold, Ward 2 trustee Chris Glover says keeping the current tenants is critical for residents in the area.

"We don't have enough spaces for daycare, and there's no other place to locate daycare, so we need to keep them in these schools," Glover said.

Daycare spaces limited

For Susy Defaria, the sell-off could mean having to introduce her one-year-old son to a new daycare, when he's just gotten used to the Learning Jungle.

"I was a bit anxious, just because it's new for him," Defaria said. "He's happy there right now too, so I don't want to disrupt his wellbeing right now."

The Etobicokemother is also worried her family won't be able to find another daycare space anytime soon.

"There's huge waiting lists everywhere else."

No guarantees

Defariasays she wants to see the facility continue to serve as a community space.

"Just keep it as is," she said."From what I hear, they're not losing money because they're leasing it out."

TheTDSBhas said that if trustees do approve more sales, other public entities, including school boards and the city, will have the first chance to buy the properties once they hit he market.

Still, there is no guarantee that the buildings wouldcontinue to be community facilities.The board recently sold anotherEtobicokebuilding that will soon be converted from acommunity space to condos.