Sadness and disappointment remain among students and staff at Maxwell International School after Thursday’s official word the facility will close June 29.
The bad news was broken at an emotional assembly where it was explained Maxwell’s governing body rejected a December proposal from parents and Friends of Maxwell to keep the Shawnigan Lake school open as a private Baha’i-inspired institution.
“There was lots of shedding of tears,” said Carol Cooper whose daughter, Emilie, attends Maxwell.
“We all concurred we’d make this the best year for our students and celebrate what we have there.”
But Maxwell lacks enough students and funds to keep the 20-year-old school open, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Canada confirmed in its Jan. 24 letter.
Its agents were unavailable for comment by press time Friday.
In its letter, the assembly applauds the local proposal that includes recruitment and fundraising plans.
Still, the assembly found the proposal “not sufficiently viable” to allow the school to succeed in a competitive global education market.
The assembly explained it would also require substantial investment “in the form of lost revenues” from not selling the school’s land and buildings, plus “implied moral responsibility for the project’s success.”
Assessed value of Maxwell’s site at 2371 Shawnigan Lake Road is $675,300, according to the B.C. Assessment Authority’s website.
Principal Dan Vaillancourt declined to speculate if the assembly would sell the property employing 40 teachers and other staff who’ll be jobless in June.
He also shied from discussing Maxwell supporters who may now seek property for a private school elsewhere.
“I don’t know if those plans are underway.
“It’s probably too early to tell.”
Correct, said Cooper.
“It’s early thinking,” she said of a model perhaps based on Cobble Hill’s Evergreen Independent School.
“I don’t know if we could do it in time to meet the needs of our students by September.”
But daughter Emilie, 15, and her classmates are game to attend a Maxwell-style school they see as special.
“I want to fight; it’s not over until the doors are shut and locked,” said Emilie, who was shocked the assembly nixed the local proposal.
“To close such an amazing place as Maxwell seems impossible.
“We are who we are because of Maxwell where you don’t have to worry what clique you’ll fit into.”
Meegin Sullivan, 16, agrees.
“If a new school opens it would be amazing and I’m sure everyone would stay,” she said of Maxwell’s environment that lets pupils be who they are.
Meanwhile, Vaillancourt aims for an upbeat mood at Maxwell.
“We’ll make the next five months a celebration of wonderful memories.”
Andrew Leong
Source: BC Local News, British Columbia, Canada, http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/14443312.html
