Wells Proposes Option of Opening Temporary School in Wells While Long-Term Solution Worked Out
For immediate release September 10, 2002

Wells residents are prepared to make a deal but not pay a hefty ransom to the Quesnel School District in order to reopen the Wells-Barkerville Elementary School.

At a public meeting last night, the option of temporarily opening a classroom in either the Wells Community Hall or in a portable was agreed to, and will be proposed to the school board today. If school trustees approve this option at their meeting tomorrow, it could pave the way to getting 18 Wells children into a temporary school facility next week. Right now, eight children are being home schooled, four are being bussed 80 kilometres to Barlow Creek Elementary School, and the remaining six are in enrollment limbo; neither being home schooled nor riding the school bus.

"I need something now for my kids," said Wells parent Carrie Johnston, the parent of two children not in school. "I see this as a short-term arrangement, while we work on a deal to reopen the school building. It may take until school board elections in November."

Others agreed. "I’d like to see a stop-gap solution which is good for the children and parents, which doesn’t cost Wells taxpayers, which doesn’t set a precedent, and which doesn’t lock us in," said Bill Horne, a member of the Wells Save Our School Committee (SOS).

The Quesnel School Board has agreed to reconsider reopening the Wells School if the community of Wells pays the difference between educating them at Barlow Creek and in Wells. "Right now, the price tag is $55,000," Wells councillor Judy Campbell told the meeting, "though it could be more, or it could be less. If we added this to our municipal taxes, it would double our general tax rate."

Those at the meeting strongly reiterated their belief in public education, and objected to paying an extra surcharge for what is already paid for through taxes. "The Quesnel School District gets a total of $195,000 in funding from the provincial government through a per capita grant and the small community supplement," said parent Dave Jorgenson, and spokesperson for the Wells SOS. "They say it will cost $130,000 to run the Wells School this year. That still leaves them $65,000, but they want another $55,000 to reopen the school. This is bothersome."

Wells Mayor Dave Hendrixson pointed out he’s obtained legal advice which identifies problems with signing a legal document to pay the $55,000 ‘ransom.’ "We can provide a building," he says, "but there’s a problem with the District of Wells signing a legal, open-ended document for services we already pay for through taxes," Hendrixson said.

Wells residents have mounted a determined, five-month long campaign to save their school, which has included a hunger strike, and a massive letter-writing campaign. They've had support from around the province and elsewhere in North America.

They blame the provincial government for creating this mess in the first place through its new funding policies, and they blame the Quesnel School District for its unco-operative and stubborn attitude about reaching a solution to keep the Wells School open. Nonetheless, with this latest reasonable proposal, Wells parents and other residents are hopeful the trustees will put the best interests of their children first.
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For more information contact: Mayor David Hendrixson, District of Wells 250 994 3330
Gary Champagne, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Wells 250 994 3330
Judy Campbell, Councillor, District of Wells 250 994 3349