I think Ward 19 (Scarborough Centre) Trustee Scott Harrison has raised some valid points. Living in Ward 19 and being a longtime advocate of education, I have been involved in these conversations for many years.
When these tough decisions are being made, it is almost always the areas of the city that can afford to subsidize or "mount" a campaign who do so. It comes down to what they don't want to lose even though they usually have the resources to find alternatives.
Groups like these don't seem to understand these campaigns do just the opposite of providing equity throughout the system.
Saving these pools does nothing for Ward 19 - we don't have that many pools in the area. What we do have here are high volumes of children without lots of space. Funding dollars need to be spent on education first and foremost.
As a homeowner with a pool, I believe it is imperative that every child learns to swim. But unless there is equity in every school in this city, then saving these pools just prolongs other types of inequities in the system.
What concerns me most is the Toronto District School Board finally made a decision, a tough one, and now the clock is turning back. Groups that say they want our trustees to do their jobs only want that if it doesn't affect them.
Public education means that we must look to the greater story. If we continue to manipulate what we have elected these officials to do, then we must consider looking at governance in education, because as it stands now, there isn't any.
Margo Cowie