CHAPTER 5-
THE COMMUNITY OPERATED PUBLIC SCHOOL - A PROPOSAL

The "Community-Operated Public School" represents an alternative to the centrally governed schools that at present dominate public education in the Maritimes. As outlined in this chapter, the Community-Operated Public School exploits the strengths and opportunities within its community to create a school that meets the learning needs of students, while nurturing a strong sense of place and purpose. Responsibility for decision-making and direction of the school are entrusted to a local governing body, which is empowered to manage educational resources and is accountable to the Minister of Education. The school receives public funding in accordance with provincial funding formulae and must deliver at least the essential graduation learnings as defined by the provincial Department of Education.

The Community-Operated public school is in effect form of "charter school" that focuses on its relationship with its community. Several communities in the Maritimes have considered charter schools as a means of protecting their schools. While there is currently no legislation in the Maritimes to enable the establishment of charter schools, the need for this alternative is growing. As this trend continues, and as more parents and citizens demand to be included in determining the direction of their children's education, it is only a matter of time before amendments to the Education Acts in the Maritime Provinces allow charter schools and community-operated public schools to be established.

The Margaree Example

The concept of a Community-Operated Public School for Margaree developed within the community during the "Kitchen Forum," which has been described in Chapter 4. At this time Margaree faced a crisis - the School Board had decided to close the local high school and send Grade 9-12 students to schools in other communities. As an alternative, the people of Margaree invested time, money and considerable effort to generate a proposal for the Margaree Community-Operated Public School. They lobbied the regional school board and the Minister of Education to consider a pilot program to test the efficacy of their proposal. The school board and provincial government, however, decided to build a new Primary to Grade 12 school within the Margarees, and this decision had a profound impact on the campaign to create the Community-Operated Public School.