Owen Sound City Councillor Richard Thomas, former Communications Co-ordinator for the Bluewater District School Board, is now a vocal opponent of their decision to convert the OSCVI into a K to 8 school while they seek provincial funding for a new amalgamated high school in the city.

At the time of his departure from the school board in 2010, Thomas issued a media release saying "When I accepted this job, I did so with the conviction that Bluewater District School Board offers an excellent education to the students of Grey and Bruce Counties. I am even firmer in that conviction now."

At Monday's City Council meeting, the night before the school board voted on its recommendation, Thomas said, "...this is about dollars and cents. It is not about people. It is not about community....And it is certainly not about student success."

The complete transcription of Thomas' speech to the Council, responding to emails and personal requests for him to become involved with the school situation, is provided here.

" A lot of people aren't aware that we were in fact involved as Council at the outset, pointing out the problems with the entire Accommodation Review process including the School Board's revised policy which comes directly from the Ministry of Education.
Municipalities across the province are concerned with this new policy which purports to increase public input but in truth limits it. In the past municipal representatives were included in the Accommodation Review process: as a result of the changes we are no longer part of it.
Councillor Greig, the City Manager and I attended a meeting along with Warden Barfoot and the county's CAO Kim Wingrove in Chesley following the announcement of the Accommodation Review. I don't think it would be wrong, and Councillor Greig can bear me out, it wouldn't be wrong of me to say that because we had no money to throw at the Board's problem, they immediately lost interest in anything that we had to say about the Accommodation Review process.
And this is the key issue. For the Board this isn't about people, student success or community, though they will tell you that these are the things that motivate all of their decisions. This issue isn't about history or the long-standing contributions the OSCVI and its students have made to our local heritage. This issue is about dollars and cents, plain and simple. The Bluewater District School Board has for many years laboured under an unfair and punitive funding formula; one that favours large-scale urban boards and punishes rural boards.
Dollars and cents, ladies and gentlemen, that's what this is all about.
Now at City Council we are no strangers to financial constraints. We have just begun Service Analysis which is examining every single facet of City operations to ensure that we are providing the services our taxpayers want. A significant part of that process is the public input phase, and everyone here knows that; something that is becoming an essential part of the operation of any political body in the world in this digital age. We all know that if you don't include the opportunity for public input, and I mean meaningful public input, the public will have its say one way or another and that's what we're seeing right now in Owen Sound.
My opinion at the start of the ARC process, and I shared it with Council and the community, was that the Bluewater District School Board is not truly interested in community input or collaboration. Its processes are set up to discourage it, but not to encourage it. A case in point: when I first spoke at the Board to question whether or not it was following its own public input procedures, it was as a "delegation without notice". One month later the Board eliminated the "delegation without notice" from its policies. Following that meeting eliminating the "delegation without notice", Policy Committee Chair Jan Johnstone said it was because "It's so difficult to control what people will say."
So I ask, is the Bluewater District School Board truly interested in consultation? Is it concerned for the well-being of our community and the impact this dramatic action will have on students in the community? The recommendation they'll vote on tomorrow night took many people by surprise when it was first revealed just six weeks ago. Everyone knew about the proposal to create two seven-to-twelve schools, but closing OSCVI had never been on the radar except perhaps within the ARC itself.
From our point, this decision comes at a time when we have finally taken steps as a city to open up the Sydenham Heights area for development. We have one developer already expressing the intent to build up to 400 units in that area and I have no doubt that others will follow. How does closing OSCVI impact the future development of that area? I don't know, and I doubt whether the School Board does because as far as I am aware they have not asked.
And this is just one of the many questions surrounding the whole issue which hasn't been answered.
But that's not important, is it? Because the Bluewater District School Board has the answer to its only question. The question of money. I said it before and I repeat it: this is about dollars and cents. It is not about people. It is not about community. It is not about history. It is not about heritage. And it is certainly not about student success.
To the people who have been sending emails all weekend I say this – the Bluewater District School Board is as dis-interested in the views of this Council as they are dis-interested in what you have to say. But that doesn't mean that we should stop making our views known. I am convinced that if we keep making noise as a community, they will eventually have to listen to us.