Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my disgust, outrage and confusion over Dixon elementary being on the school closure list for Richmond.
First of all, Dixon is one community, regardless of English or French. To rip this school into multiple schools defies logic.
A school that is at capacity being shut down and students sent in all directions? Explain to me how this fosters a sense of community.
Richmond, as a city, is already on the verge of losing its sense of community and this furthers it more.
Secondly, to expect Dixon students to go to either Diefenbaker, which does not have the amenities for the students it currently has and also requires installation of costly portables, or Gilmore, which is proven to be seismically unsafe, is shocking and rage-inducing.
Thirdly, to treat French immersion kids as “portable” is disgusting. No, the parents of French kids will not drive their kids to wherever the French is.
We want our children to learn in their neighborhoods, have the ability to walk to and from school and continue to foster a sense of community, in their community.
As a loyal parent of two Dixon students and a part of a proud and strong group of Dixon parents, I can tell you that we will not accept this quietly.
Expect to hear from many, many more of us in the coming weeks.
Heather Pogor
Richmond
