After weeks of meetings, public debates and extensive input from parents, school councils, and special interest groups, Trustees of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board made the final decision regarding the five elementary schools under review last night. While the motion on the floor called for the consolidation of St. Anthony and St. Michael schools at St. Francis school, effective September 2003, Trustees voted to consolidate St. Anthony school with St. Francis in September 2003, keeping St. Michael’s school open. With respect to the Western Family of schools, Trustees decided in favour of the Board’s recommendation to consolidate Our Lady of Fatima school in Naughton at St. James School in Lively, effective September 2004.

Ray Vincent, Chair of the Sudbury Catholic Board stated that, “The decision to close a school is never an easy one nor is it a decision that Trustees take lightly. Over the past several weeks we have met with senior Board administration to review the information presented to us in the public meetings held at the schools and to re-examine the Board’s informational package. Our mandate as Trustees has always been to provide the best quality of Catholic education possible for our students. After taking into account the number of excess pupil capacity spaces in our schools as they relate to higher operational and maintenance costs, it became apparent that we would have to consolidate some schools. At the end of the day, from a financial and logistical point of view it made the most sense to consolidate St. Anthony school with St. Francis School next fall and

Our Lady of Fatima will be consolidated into the newly renovated St. James school in September of 2004.”

Zandra Zubac, Director of Education with the Sudbury Catholic Board stated that, “The

Trustees made a difficult decision yesterday to provide better educational opportunities for all our students in the Catholic educational system. Senior Administration is committed to working with school staff, students and Catholic School Councils over the next several months to ensure a smooth transition of the consolidation process.”