Over half of our elementary schools do not have enough students to generate funding for a full-time principal. Small schools are also less likely to have music and physical education teachers, they have less access to psychologists and social workers and fewer full-time caretakers. Over the next year and a half as many as 130 schools will close across the province, many of them small schools. Small schools have fewer pupils, but they still need staff, heat, light and maintenance. Before we let funding policy dictate school size, we should examine a number of factors.
Some principals are now responsible for two schools.
Traditionally, principals have served as curriculum leaders, advocates for children and a conduit between parents, teachers and children. Volunteers and Fundraising Parents have always willingly volunteered in their children's schools and raised money to enhance them, but a reliance on parent volunteers and parent dollars creates inequity among schools. The role of parents is an important one, but because parents' ability to be involved differs from school to school, we cannot rely on parents to replace trained staff or public funding without creating serious inequities in the system. Waiting lists for Special Education assessment and services remain very long. When services are not provided for special needs children, all children in the school are affected.