Right now, Lorne Avenue Public School faces the very real possibility of closing next year. Lorne Ave is critical to the long-term success of East London. Sustained, passionate grassroots efforts like Save Lorne Ave are a testament to the school’s importance in the community.

Years of residential sprawl are putting pressure on core schools like this all over the city, not just in East London. I believe all candidates in Ward 4 agree that we need to find sustainable ways to keep these schools open and to support our core neighbourhoods. This is a time for all stakeholders to come together to find a way forward.

The trustees of the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), the Mayor and residents of the community deserve credit for their efforts to find a way to keep the school open. However, we’ve reached a point where one side is blaming the other for failing to reach an agreement, the details of which are still not widely known. I support the Mayor’s call to continue trying to negotiate an agreement that will keep the school open.

If negotiations are not extended, in the name of open and transparent governance, I strongly urge the TVDSB and the City of London to make public the offer that was presented on March 20th. Residents have worked hard to keep Lorne Ave open, and all Londoners deserve to know what the obstacles to negotiating an agreement are.

My hope is that there is still enough time to keep this important community hub open. For the long-term good of East London, and the broader city, we need to find a way to do so.

Please add your name below if you support extending negotiations and making the city's offer public if negotiations do not continue.

Contact

[email protected] / 226-268-7536 (mobile)

56 signatures so far

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Showing 67 reactions

  • shelly cauchi
    signed 2014-05-03 21:50:17 -0400
  • posted about this on Facebook 2014-05-03 13:42:14 -0400
    I'm calling for an extension of negotiations to @SaveLorneAvePS. Join me!
  • Adina Helmer
    signed 2014-05-03 13:41:26 -0400
  • Bev Gray
    signed 2014-05-02 12:07:35 -0400
  • Shannon Conty
    signed 2014-05-02 06:31:44 -0400
  • Kate Lawless
    signed via 2014-05-02 00:21:54 -0400
  • Laurie Bursch
    signed via 2014-05-01 23:49:52 -0400
  • Mary Sheppard
    signed 2014-05-01 22:30:15 -0400
  • Sara Froese
    signed 2014-05-01 22:00:21 -0400
  • Catherine Sulkowski
    signed 2014-05-01 21:26:20 -0400
  • Tara Kovach
    signed 2014-05-01 21:05:25 -0400
  • Janie Rother
    signed 2014-05-01 20:04:08 -0400
    This is not just a school. This is the heart of a great community that all other communities can learn from. They have made great improvements & things are really changing with many new businesses choosing to open in the area. Closing this school,will set them back years. Give them a chance to show all they can accomplish by keeping this school opened.
  • Dawn Utbanowicz
    signed 2014-05-01 19:51:46 -0400
  • Lynn Bertie
    signed 2014-05-01 18:48:57 -0400
  • Angela Smibert
    signed 2014-05-01 17:24:05 -0400
    The whole situation really doesn’t make any sense you want to close a school that can hold a capacity of 800 students and move them to 2 different schools and do renos or upgrades to the schools they are moved too. Wouldn’t it make more sense to close bishop Townsend and move those students to Lorne ave?? Not that I want to see any schools close :( all about the money really sad!!
  • Deb Leeming
    signed 2014-05-01 13:38:00 -0400
  • Colleen Murphy
    signed 2014-05-01 12:58:05 -0400
  • virginia davis
    signed 2014-05-01 12:56:53 -0400
  • posted about this on Facebook 2014-05-01 11:13:22 -0400
    I'm calling for an extension of negotiations to @SaveLorneAvePS. Join me!
  • Colleen Felts
    signed 2014-05-01 11:07:40 -0400
  • posted about this on Facebook 2014-05-01 11:04:00 -0400
    I'm calling for an extension of negotiations to @SaveLorneAvePS. Join me!
  • Tara L M Didine
    signed 2014-05-01 11:03:25 -0400
  • posted about this on Facebook 2014-05-01 11:00:54 -0400
    I'm calling for an extension of negotiations to @SaveLorneAvePS. Join me!
  • Susan Pedersen
    signed 2014-05-01 11:00:16 -0400
  • Sue Manester
    signed via 2014-05-01 10:48:05 -0400
  • Alicia Rundle
    signed 2014-05-01 10:23:56 -0400
  • Sari Naomi Brady
    signed via 2014-05-01 10:11:11 -0400
  • Maureen Cullen
    signed 2014-05-01 09:34:22 -0400
    extend negotiations.
  • @PaulSeale2 tweeted link to this page. 2014-05-01 09:29:35 -0400
    I'm calling for an extension of negotiations to @SaveLorneAvePS. Join me! http://www.helmer.ca/lorne_ave?recruiter_id=5931
  • posted about this on Facebook 2014-05-01 09:29:35 -0400
    I'm calling for an extension of negotiations to @SaveLorneAvePS. Join me!