‘Take a gamble’: Merritt mayor asking for delay on potential school closure with the hopes of growth

School District 58 is currently working through the extensive consultation process as it looks at the possibility of closing one of the elementary schools in Merritt.

This month, the district has held meetings at both Central and Collettville Elementary Schools, the two options currently on the chopping block, as well as Bench and Diamondvale. While the process rolls out, Merritt’s mayor is asking SD58 to take a chance on the city and delay the decision by one year.

“Understanding that they are between a rock and a hard place, and I get this,” Mike Goetz told CFJC News. “I’m asking them to take a gamble, and that with the industry that we have got in town, that we may see a whole pile more kids. We may not, but if they do decide to put this off for a year, it’s going to mean some layoffs for teachers, and they are going to have to run a deficit.”

“What they are trying to do is make sure they can keep their head above water, which everybody does with a budget. I take my hat off to them, and they have been sent real numbers that show us that registration is down.”

The closure of a school could help SD58 save upwards of $600,000, which would be reinvested into staff and classrooms.

Goetz admitted that he, at times, has been told not to interfere with the school district, but feels that as mayor, it falls under his purview to ask what he believes are the important questions.

“It’s very early stages, and I don’t envy the school board. They have tough decisions to make here,” said Goetz. “But as a council, I have been told to stay in my lane by one of them. Unfortunately, this is my lane. It’s my community, and I will go into any lane I want to at any point in time.”

“Just get used to me being in that lane because that is where I’m going to be, and I’m asking for questions and answers just like everybody else is. That is my lane, and I will continue to be there. But we also understand the reality of it, and we will see how this all goes.”

The current round of SD58 public consultation is set to continue through the end of January and into February.