Parents fight to keep Barrie Central Collegiate open

A group of parents will not allow Simcoe County’s oldest high school to close without a fight.

Close to 50 people came to a meeting organized by parents on Thursday night to get more answers from the school board about their plan to close Barrie Central Collegiate in 2016.

The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) says it couldn’t find any business partners to help save the school and says fixing the existing building would cost millions. And although the SCDSB refuses to say which business partners they were speaking with, parent Amy Austin says they’re ready to go a step further to find out.

“We have filed a freedom of information act request to have that information brought forward.”

Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman is a Central graduate and says the fight isn’t over. He wants the board to rethink its plan and still thinks there’s time to save the school.

“There’s a great project here that should happen and a new board of trustees, which will be elected in about 10 days, will review the decision and move forward with a great project.”

Barrie Central Alumni Nancy Dickey says if Central is lost, the students are the big losers because if the new school the board says it will build by 2016 is not ready – Central students will be bused to Barrie’s already crowded existing high schools.

“It’s the oldest high school in Simcoe County and they just want to tear it down. I don’t think it is right.”

CTV News asked the board about the negotiations to save Central. In a statement, the SCDSB says it can’t reveal specifics about the talks or who was involved. But they described it as a ‘comprehensive’ and ‘all encompassing’ and the plan to close the school stands.

The group trying to save Barrie Central Collegiate say their next move depends on the information they receive from their freedom of information request. Once they have it, they’ll decide on their next move.

The SCDSB won’t comment on the actual freedom of information request about the Barrie Central negotiations but say that those filing such a request have a right to do so.