St. Cyril on the chopping block

St. Cyril on the chopping block. Students from St Cyrils Catholic School at the protest. SEE STORY...Cynthia Reason. Staff photo/CYNTHIA REASON

The mass protest was spurred by a report from the Director of Education at last month's meeting regarding a School Accommodation Review for a cluster of North York schools, including St. Cyril, as well as St. Antoine Daniel, St. Edward and Blessed Trinity Catholic schools.

That report recommended, among other things, to close the 400-student-strong, French Immersion school as of June 30, 2012, and to accommodate its students in an expanded building or replacement school on the nearby site of St. Antoine Daniel school, effective Sept. 30, 2012.

Philip Doyle, speaking on behalf of parents of the St. Cyril Catholic School Advisory Council (CSAC), condemned the recommendations - and the accommodation review committee (ARC) process that brought them about - as disrespectful to the Ministry of Education's goal of 'keeping good schools open.'

"St. Cyril is a vibrant, successful and growing school. We are not facing declining enrolment, in fact our school is very much in demand," he said in his address to Ministry Supervisor Richard Alway, before a standing room only crowd. "More than numbers, I think we've got all the dimensions here that are critical to the success of a Catholic school."

Lacking in its assessment of St. Cyril, Doyle said the TCDSB failed to recognize the school's success in fostering both a faithful and academically successful school community, as well as its high level of parental involvement and strong teacher commitment.

Doyle further alleged that the decision to recommend closing the school was primarily cost-based - made with no serious consideration of alternatives to closure and little consideration to the impact of closure upon families. The board-proposed amalgamated school, he said, envisioned a combined school community of 550 from St. Cyril and St. Antoine Daniel. Given the current enrolments at those schools (400 at St. Cyril and 331 at St. Antoine Daniel), that leaves 180 students accounted for, making it clear that the board is not as "committed to preserving St. Cyril as a school community" as it claims, Doyle said.

"I would contend that St. Cyril is a school the board should be celebrating and considering for further investment rather than a school that's being considered for closure," he added, to furious applause and cheering from the crowd. "These teachers, parents and students here tonight, I think, speak louder than any words could."

One such parent, Catia Creatura-Amelio, who has two children currently attending St. Cyril, and a third two years away from becoming school-aged, said a proposed merge with St. Antoine Daniel would transform their cozy school community into a impersonal super-school with an oversized population.

"We're afraid our kids are going to be stuck in portables, and that's far from the best way for our children to learn," she said after the presentation. "Faced with that prospect, a lot of families are considering moving their kids out of St. Cyril. So we risk losing that strong sense of community you see here tonight. It's a great community with a lot of spirit."

But according to North York Trustee Maria Rizzo, in whose ward 5 St. Cyril resides, the opinions of those anti-closure parents in attendance Wednesday night do not paint an entire picture.

"This is a community that is, in fact, quite split on this decision," she said in an interview. "There are a large number of voices not represented tonight, that were too intimidated to speak up against the vocal number of people here."

In explaining her decision to support staff recommendations to close St. Cyril, Rizzo said the school is situated in an area of intense development, surrounded by condominiums, with little space for the children.

"There's no playground or anything - there's nothing," she said. "At St. Antoine Daniel, there's a beautiful wooded area that is great."

As to the likelihood of St. Cyril and St. Antoine Daniel's amalgamated community to get a new school out of the deal - which, according to the report would be contingent upon proceeds from the sale of the St. Cyril site, and subject to a facility needs' assessment and cost-benefit analysis - Rizzo said she was cautiously optimistic such would be the case.

"I cannot guarantee anything, but it is my belief that they will get a new school building," she said.

A final report on the issue is expected at the March 31 meeting of the board.