Dundas parents still fighting for high school

Every morning, Nathaniel Leslie crawls out of bed at the last possible moment to head to school.

As a student of Parkside Secondary School, his classes are across the street from his Dundas Driving Park Road home.

But that's not the only reason the 17-year-old likes his school. He likes the sense of the community and ability to walk downtown at lunch. He likes how he and his friends can stay late for sports practices without needing a ride.

If the school wasn't there, "that would be a problem," he said.

Dundas residents are bracing themselves for the reality that Parkside might not be there.

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board trustees meet this evening to vote on the fate of Parkside and Highland high schools, as well as others in the west accommodation review.

They face two recommendations:

• Close Parkside and move its students to a renovated Highland in September 2014, as recommended by board staff.
• Close Highland and Parkside and move them to a new school on the Highland site for September 2015, as recommended by the west accommodation review committee (ARC). The board would also close Ancaster High and build a new school on the existing site for September 2015.

Nathaniel's father, Tim Leslie, is part of a Dundas group who want the board to move Highland students to Parkside. Leslie, a designer and renovator with architecture training, has even drawn up suggested plans for renovation.

Closure would 'forever change' Dundas

The father of four heard the board say that the Parkside building couldn't accommodate the two schools and "decided to see if that was true," he said.

He found the existing building, constructed in 1959, to be solid and prone to expansion, he said.

'Our solutions are rooted in reality.' —Parkside supporter Tim Leslie

The board would make more money selling the Highland property and moving students to Parkside, as outlined on the group's website parksideworks.ca, Leslie said.

Parkside is located in the heart of Dundas, and closing it will threaten a way of life, said Patrick Rowan, father of a Parkside student and parksideworks.ca webmaster.

Parkside is integral to the fabric of Dundas, and closing it would "change forever how this community functions," he said.

Schools for 1,000 or more

Parkside is built for 777 students, has 522 and is projected to have 490 in 2015.

Highland is built for 924 students, has 773 and is projected to drop to 612 by 2015.

The ARC, which met for a year and held a series of public meetings, recommends that no school be built for fewer than 1,000 students.

Closing Parkside would also eliminate about $11 million in capital maintenance costs, board staff said in February. It proposes that a renovated Highland include a new single gym, six science labs and other amenities.

But Leslie remains optimistic about the outcome of tonight's meeting, which will be at 6 p.m. at the board office at 100 Main St. W.

"Our solutions are rooted in reality, and we feel that as long as we have a fair hearing, we have a really good chance," he said.

School board officials could not be reached for comment. 

Trustees will also vote on the budget today. All decisions will be ratified at a May 28 board meeting.