An apparent victory for the concerned parents of school children who didn’t want Orangeville’s school boundaries to change was announced at a public meeting Wednesday.

“We are very proud of the parents and the town for coming out to voice their opinion in this matter,” says Joe Mason, a parent representative for East Garafraxa Public School and a resident of the town’s Settlers Creek development.

According to a media release, the Upper Grand District School Board’s boundary review committee has shortlisted only one option that supports status quo until enrolment in the growing Settlers Creek/Sherwood Trails area warrants a new school and funding is committed by the Province.

“The schools and the community resoundingly chose status quo,” said board chair and Orangeville trustee Bob Borden.

A final decision will not be made until January 31, but the committee has taken the feedback from parents and the community and will be discussing the findings as well as the highlights of the other eight options that were under consideration on December 14 at Westside Secondary School.

The option of having all the students remain in the schools they currently attend became a viable option during the review because the Province lifted a cap on enrolment for East Garafraxa P.S.

“The decision by the province to have East Garafraxa enrolment increase to 420 students helped by allowing us to hold at status quo,” Mr. Borden said.

Boundary reviews based on enrolment will be an ongoing issue for the board and will be monitored annually, especially for East Garafraxa, Montgomery Village and Credit Meadows schools, three that may have enrolment fluxes.

“No reviews will be done without community involvement,” Mr. Borden promised.

The board is prepared to move forward on the plans for another school and a draft capital plan, which will be sent to the province in the new year, will include a request for funding to build a new school.

The Settlers Creek/ Sherwood Trails community, based on board current statistics, should be seeing a school being built in the neighbourhood sometime between the years 2009 and 2011.

“Of course, we think that it isn’t soon enough,” Mr. Mason said. He would like to see the board moving on a decision to purchase the property for the school.

“We have been waiting for a school since ‘98,” he said. “An assurance that a school is planned is a good first step.”

Mr. Borden met with parents at an informal meeting last Monday that stemmed from a protest the parents held before a meeting of the boundary review committee at Parkinson Centennial Public School last month.

The parents wanted to know what the role of a trustee was and if Mr. Borden could explain what happened to an earlier promise of a new school for Settlers Creek.

“I think we came to a good understanding,” Mr. Borden said. “I was able to share the fact that the funding model has changed within the province, and let the parents know that a new school is coming.”