It seems Forbury School is not going to roll over without a fight.
The board of trustees and staff met Dunedin MPs Metiria Turei and Clare Curran yesterday to investigate ways of keeping the school open, despite the likelihood it will be closed at the end of the year by Education Minister Anne Tolley.
Principal Janice Tofia said the community was growing anxious and more vocal about what might happen to its school, and the group met to compile sensible arguments against closure rather than emotive ones, in the hope of changing Mrs Tolley's mind.
Although rolls at other schools in South Dunedin had been declining in recent years, Forbury's roll had more than doubled in the past decade, from 62 to 145.
Mrs Tofia said that was one of the many reasons the ministry's proposal to merge the school with Macandrew Intermediate was "wrong, wrong, wrong".
"The proposed merger of Forbury and Macandrew would result in three large schools in a space of 2km.
"This raises issues about where the children will come from. There will be competition between the schools and this could very well result in an uneven distribution of students."
Of particular concern if it was disestablised would be the effect on Forbury's learning environment.
Mrs Tofia believed it would severely disrupt the positive sense of community associated with the school.
"Forbury School, and all it stands for, is a safe, secure and special place for the children. Many of the children will not cope with change - a change such as this can be as tragic as a death."
Ms Turei said her daughter attended Forbury School and had nothing but words of praise for Mrs Tofia and the quality of education there.
"The kids that are coming out of here are going on to do amazing things. Kids do so well here because the teaching force and the leadership provided by Janice is excellent."
Ms Curran said the meeting aimed to provide mechanisms by which the people in the Forbury community could speak out and have their views heard.
The group has begun circulating a petition calling for the school to be left open, and a protest march along George St has been organised to leave the Dental School at 10.30am next Saturday. The initiatives were just the first of many that would allow the community to voice its concerns during the next three weeks, Mrs Tofia said.
The school and its parents have until the end of the month to persuade Mrs Tolley to keep the school open.
