First Day of "School"
Demonstration at
Wells-Barkerville School
Sept. 3, 2002
pictures

For immediate release September 3, 2002

Only three of 18 Wells elementary school children boarded the bus at 6:45 this morning for the long 77 kilometre ride to school in Quesnel. As the new school year began, the remaining students took part in community-organized "classes" outside the locked front doors of the Wells-Barkerville Elementary School, which the Quesnel School Board closed two months ago.

The Grade 1 to Grade 7 youngsters took part in a drama called "The Pirates of Pens and Pencils," where mean pirates take away a happy school, and turn it into money for administrative pay raises. There was a Singing class where students learned the song "We Shall Not Be Closed." A Physical Education class consisted of jumping through hoops, as Wells residents have been doing for four-and-a-half months during the fight to save their school. And, in a fundraising class, youngsters passed around the hat, to begin collecting the $55,000 "ransom," which the school district is demanding from Wells for the school to stay open. One fundraising youngster wore a placard which said "I'’m only nine; brother can you spare a dime?" When asked if any of them wanted to ride the bus to school in Quesnel, the students all shouted a hearty "no!"

Wells residents are still hopeful that an agreement can be reached with the school board to keep the Wells School open. On August 28, after a summer long protest which included a hunger strike and a massive letter-writing campaign, school trustees passed an in camera motion stating that they would consider reopening the school if the community of Wells paid the difference between educating the children at Barlow Creek School in Quesnel, and the costs of operating a school in Wells. Negotiations between the two sides began the next day, but ended in a deadlock Friday afternoon because trustees refused to reopen the school before an agreement was reached. The school board wants the people of Wells to come up with $55,000 to reopen the school. This is in addition to $195,000 the school district already receives from the provincial government to run the Wells School in 2002-03, $65,000 more than the costs, netting the district about $120,000.

The District of Wells is holding a council meeting tonight at 7 p.m., and the Wells School issue will be on the agenda. Wells is also inviting Education Minister Christy Clark to visit the community and meet with parents, children, and other residents. The minister has been notably silent on this issue, even though the Quesnel School Board is getting money for a school it is closing.

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For more information contact:
Will Lepine, president, Wells Parent Advisory Council 250 994 3444
Gary Champagne, Chief Administrative Office, District of Wells 250 994 3330