Photo: Contributed - Oliver Daily News

Nearly 1,000 people filled the Osoyoos Secondary School gym Tuesday evening in an attempt to save one of the town’s two schools.

Parents, students and politicians expressed their views at the first of two public consultation meetings.

The school board faces a looming budget crisis resulting from declining enrolment and reduced funding.

Two proposals being considered are:

• Close Osoyoos Secondary School and transfer students to South Okanagan Secondary School in Oliver.
• Close Osoyoos Elementary, transfer students to OSS, making it a K-8 school, and transfer Grades 10-12 to SOS.

Supt. Bev Young and secretary-treasurer Lynda Minnabarriet made a 40-minute slide presentation before the public was allowed to speak.

The gym walls were covered with posters and banners stating: Save Our Schools.

Speakers included Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff, who said closing either school would have “a profoundly adverse effect on the town.”

Parent Brenda Dorosz, who recently created the local Save Our Schools committee, said the group has collected more than 3,300 signatures on a petition demanding the schools be kept open.

She said busing students to Oliver “will lead to increased violence and bullying” because of rivalry between the communities.

Dorosz said her group has identified potential savings, including: converting to a four-day school week, which would save $500,000 a year; reducing school board office staff, saving $300,000; and making principals responsible for two schools each, which would garner about $300,000.

She warned closing schools would "close our town."

Former Mayor Stu Wells said that he's spoken with residents who would be prepared to pay higher taxes to keep the schools open. He challenged the authority of the board to make a closure decision and suggested Education Minister Mike Bernier and Premier Christy Clark should come to Osoyoos and defend the proposal.

The next public input meeting on the matter is March 8. Trustees will decide what to do regarding the recommendations at the April 6 board meeting. 

– with files from Oliver Daily News