WHEREAS the Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter declared on June 28, 2017, a province-wide Moratorium on future school closures based on the results of   the spring engagement process, stating that the Pupil Accommodation Review process was flawed and should be overhauled;

AND, WHEREAS during the 2016-2017 school year this flawed Pupil Accommodation Review process was used to close schools;

AND, WHEREAS some of these schools are not scheduled to close until the end of June 2018, so that staffing for these schools remains in place for 2017-2018;

AND, WHEREAS it would be consistent with the spirit of the Moratorium and the reason for the overhaul of the PAR process, to stop those closures announced after September 2016;

AND, WHEREAS the 2015 Auditor General’s Report Section 4.3.2 (p. 299) recommends greater funds be put towards maintenance of current schools;

AND FURTHER, WHEREAS the current Funding Formula does not properly address the needs of schools within rural and Northern communities;

WE, THE UNDERSIGNED RESIDENTS OF THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO PETITION MINISTER OF EDUCATION MITZIE HUNTER, PREMIER KATHLEEN WYNNE, AND ALL MPPs OF THE ONTARIO LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY TO:

1. Reverse the closure decisions for all schools where those decisions were made after September 1, 2016;

2. Provide fair and equitable Pupil Accommodation Review processes that school boards must follow, recognising the unique needs of rural and Northern communities; and

3. Review the current Funding Formula with a goal of developing fair and equitable Funding Formulae for all rural, Northern and urban schools.