HPEDSB Trustees unanimously vote in favour of renaming Moira Secondary, Meyers Creek Secondary (Photo: Tim Durkin/ Quinte News)
Moira Secondary will be called Meyers Creek Secondary on September 1, 2018.
At Monday night’s Hastings Prince Edward District School Board Operations and Finance special meeting, trustees unanimously approved renaming Moira Secondary, Meyers Creek Secondary, once students from Quinte are amalgamated in the fall.
Over the past few weeks, nearly 2,500 signatures were put on an online petition, to keep the name as Moira. Director of Education Mandy Savery-Whiteway says she did not receive a copy of the petition.
During the fall, the board looked to the public to submit names for the east end school, and 314 votes were cast. The Integration Committee then whittled the number down to five. They were Gord Downie Secondary (which received Downie family approval), East Hill Secondary, East Side High School, Belleville East Secondary and Meyers Creek Secondary.
The Integration Committee said the Meyers surname had historical connection to Belleville. 1,331 votes were received from the public.
A look from the HPEDSB voting process
Quinte News asked what the public’s top pick was, however Board spokesperson Kerry Donnell says the breakdown of the results are unavailable.
HPEDSB Director of Education Mandy Savery-Whiteway
Director of Education Mandy Savery-Whiteway says a number of criteria was looked at by the Integration Committee, in making their decision.
HPEDSB Vice-Chair Dave Patterson (Photo: Tim Durkin/ Quinte News)
Board Vice-Chair Dave Patterson says the name change had been proposed since June, however it has not been a concern until recently.
Trustee Michael Brant (front) at the Operations and Finance meeting January 8, 2018 (Photo: Tim Durkin/ Quinte News)
Trustee Michael Brant voted in favour of the name change, despite the fact he was a former student at the school. He says the goal was to be consistent during the process.
There were several people at the meeting who were against the renaming decision. Kathryn Brown is the guardian of a student at Moira and was against the change. She says financially, it does not make sense.
Kerri MacDonald was a graduate of Quinte Secondary and is now support staff at Moira. She says she has financial concerns around renaming schools, while others schools are closing.
Communication Officer Kerry Donnell says no money that is earmarked for the classroom will be used to re-brand the school.
North of the 401. Purple indicates students who will go to newly amalgamated east end Belleville school. Those in yellow will attend Centennial Secondary
About 200 current Quinte students will go to Centennial Secondary, while 390 will attend Meyers Creek.
Quinte News asked spokesperson Kerry Donnell why Centennial was not considered for a name change, while Moira was. She says Moira and Quinte were a school consolidation, while Centennial and Quinte were a boundary change.
Purple indicates students who will go to newly amalgamated east end Belleville school. Those in yellow will attend Centennial Secondary
The board could know as early as next month whether a new school build will take place in the east end, or a renovation to the current site will take place. Director Savery-Whiteway says they are hopeful to hear from the Ministry of Education soon. The name change for the school and that re-branding is pending Ministry of Education approval.
