A group of demonstrators with a clear message outside lisnaskea High School prior to the meeting about the school closure
TEMPERS flared at a meeting in Lisnaskea High School to which parents and guardians of pupils had been invited along to hear the reasons for its closure.
From this September, the school will amalgamate with Devenish College in Enniskillen to where the pupils will be bussed.
The platform party included members of the school’s board of governors and officers from the Western Education and Library Board, the employing authority for controlled schools.
The chairman of the board of governors, Alan McDonald told the audience: “It is very difficult for all of us in the community, and I am aware how passionate some of you feel. I have been a member of the board of governors for over 20 years, and I can assure you this decision (to close) has not been taken lightly.”
He went on: “We have discussed and analysed, investigated and discussed further and, sadly, yet unanimously agreed at our meeting of January 29, despite reports to the contrary to take this development proposal forward.”
Sean Rogers, the assistant finance officer with the Western Board told the meeting: “Financially, the school is not viable.
“This year, we have 107 pupils and running costs far exceed the funding that was allocated to this school because, as numbers have gone down, the costs have gone up.”
He explained that, for the past three to four years, there had been an increasing deficit which, next month, would increase to £449,000.
Rosemary Watterson, who is a senior education officer with the Board, explained that if the board was to let Lisnaskea HS sit, ‘that’s then an unmanaged closure’.
“And, when it closes, the children go wherever. The Board has a duty to ensure that the children are protected.
“If we let the two schools, Devenish and Lisnaskea, sit till such times as the new buildings go up, four to five years down the line, I can assure you there will be no provision, and instead of losing one Protestant school, you will lose two.”
At this, there were shouts of, ‘blackmail’.
Speaking to the Herald yesterday, Heather Gleave, who has two children at Lisnaskea High, said she came away, ‘a wee bit cross’.
“We were told there are 16 on the board of governors, but there were only 11 at the meeting the decision to close was taken. And, they did not vote. The decision was made on the basis that the majority nodded their heads.”
Mrs Gleave claimed the five ‘missing’ governors had told the meeting they would have voted against closure.
“We don’t want a big school. A smaller school would do. We simply don’t want our children going to Enniskillen, full stop.”
Meanwhile, the school principal, Nick Hambly told the Herald that the school recognised the importance of working closely with the community.
“We are now taking steps to do that.”
A Facebook group opposing closure has been set up. As of yesterday (Tuesday), the page had over 400 ‘likes’ where people showed their support of the page.
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