I’ve just wrapped up a call with North Bay trustee Linda Hamilton, who looked both exhausted and relieved after last night’s heated board meeting. The Near North District School Board has officially pushed their McDougall Public School closure decision into the new year, following unexpected intervention from Education Minister Stephen Lecce.
“We’ve been fighting this battle for months,” Hamilton told me, her voice slightly cracking as she described the packed boardroom. “Parents were literally standing against walls just to have their voices heard.”
The Minister’s office confirmed to Mediawall.news late Thursday that Lecce personally contacted board officials, recommending they pause any closure plans until community consultations can be properly completed. This marks a significant shift in a process that many parents criticized as rushed and predetermined.
“The message from the Ministry was clear – slow down and listen,” explained North Bay parent council president Terri McKinnon, who has spearheaded the “Save McDougall” campaign since September. “We’ve collected over 2,300 signatures from people who believe this 67-year-old school deserves a proper review.”
The controversy erupted after a facilities report highlighted potential savings of $680,000 annually by consolidating McDougall’s students into nearby schools. Board financial documents show mounting pressure to address a $3.2 million deficit projection for the 2023-24 school year, with declining enrollment across the region complicating budget matters.
However, McDougall’s enrollment has actually increased slightly this year, with 289 students currently attending – up seven from last year according to ministry data. This fact has become a rallying point for parents opposing closure.
The board’s handling of the Accommodation Review Committee has drawn particular criticism. Provincial guidelines recommend a minimum six-month consultation period, but the Near North process was compressed into just eight weeks.
“I’ve sat through hundreds of these meetings across Ontario, and I’ve rarely seen one this rushed,” noted education advocate Sam Osterhout, who traveled from Toronto to observe the proceedings. “The guidelines exist for a reason – communities need time to process potential school closures.”
Board Chair Jay Aspin defended the accelerated timeline, pointing to financial pressures that he claims necessitated quick action. “Every month we delay represents resources we can’t direct to students,” Aspin stated in a tense exchange with parents during the public comment period.
Yet the abrupt intervention from Lecce’s office has changed the dynamic entirely. A Ministry spokesperson confirmed to me that while they respect board autonomy, the government expects “thorough engagement with affected families and careful consideration of all options before closing any neighborhood school.”
The postponement means McDougall will remain open until at least June 2024, with any potential closure decision not taking effect before the 2024-25 school year. For families in the McDougall catchment area, this provides breathing room amid uncertainty.
Krista Wilson, mother of two McDougall students, described the emotional toll of the process. “My kids ask me every morning if their school is closing. That’s not something a seven-year-old should worry about,” she said during our interview at a local coffee shop just blocks from the school.
The McDougall situation reflects broader tensions in Ontario education planning. Since 2018, the province has closed 19 elementary schools while opening 14 new ones, according to Ministry records. Rural and small-town schools have disproportionately faced closure threats, often despite fierce community opposition.
Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli‘s office released a brief statement supporting the Minister’s intervention, though critics note Fedeli had remained largely silent during previous weeks of community protests. His statement emphasized that “all options must be thoroughly explored before disrupting neighborhood schools.”
Beyond the immediate reprieve, questions remain about McDougall’s long-term future. The building requires approximately $4.3 million in repairs over the next five years according to the board’s facility condition assessment – a significant sum for a board facing financial constraints.
However, parents and community advocates argue the school’s central location and walkability provide intangible benefits that financial spreadsheets fail to capture. Nearly 72% of McDougall students can walk to school, compared to just 38% at the proposed receiving schools – a point emphasized repeatedly during public comments.
“Schools aren’t just buildings – they’re community anchors,” former McDougall principal Marion Whitley told the board. “When we close schools, we’re making a statement about what we value in our neighborhoods.”
The Near North District School Board has now scheduled additional public consultation sessions for January and February, with a final decision expected by March. Whether this extended timeline will change the ultimate outcome remains unclear, but parent groups have already announced plans to present alternative solutions, including boundary adjustments and community partnerships to maximize building usage.
As North Bay enters the holiday season, the McDougall community can at least temporarily set aside closure fears. But the reprieve comes with no guarantees, leaving families and staff in a familiar position for Ontario’s smaller schools – fighting to justify their existence in an education system increasingly driven by economies of scale rather than community impact.
“We’ve won some breathing room,” McKinnon told me as we ended our conversation. “Now we need to use it wisely.”
