Following up on newspaper ads over the last two weeks, the group sent out a mass mailing this week to households from Tyne Valley west reminding them of the Westisle Family of Schools meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. and the public rally which will precede it at 5:30 p.m.
“You attendance is greatly needed to support the effort to stop the proposed recommendation to close five Island schools,” the message read in part. Two of the schools on the list, Bloomfield and St. Louis elementary schools, are part of the Westisle family.
The group has also taken to social media to urge organizations to make Thursday night available.
Kelly Shea Rayner, a member of the committee planning the rally, said some organizations have made adjustments to their schedule. The Palmer Road Chase the Ace draw has been rescheduled, the O’Leary Town Council moved its meeting to 5:30 so that members can attend the public meeting, a church meeting has been postponed and a youth dance has been moved to another night.
“I think we’re going to have a huge crowd,” Shea-Rayner predicted.
The Westisle Family of Schools meeting is the last of five scheduled meetings in the third round of the Better Learning for All school review process. The fourth meeting is scheduled for tonight at Morell Regional High School.
Should weather conditions force the postponement of any of the public meetings, the process calls for them to be rescheduled to February 13 and/or 14.
