Parents at a downtown secondary school for students with special needs are concerned over signs the school may be headed towards being shut down.
Heydon Park Secondary School is the Toronto District School Board’s (TDSB) only small, student-centre public high school for young women, transgender and non-binary students with special needs.
Parents who gathered outside the school near Dundas Street and University Avenue on Thursday, say the TDSB halted admissions for Grade 9 students this academic year due to low enrollment.
“TDSB has canceled the open house, the Grade 8 open house so we won’t be getting new students, just like last year and they are going to use the reason that there’s low enrolment and I’m sure they’re planning to close the school down,” said Parent Council Co-Chair, Kamala Kalsi.
“They’re not promoting the school, the feeder schools don’t promote the school, without an open house, of course enrollment is going to be down,” added another parent, Matt Hawkins.
CityNews has reached out to the TDSB but has not received a response at this point.
Heydon Park is a lifeline for students like Sammy. Her mom, Grace Zelek, tells CityNews she was born with a neurodevelopmental disorder.
“Heydon Park has given her the courage, the support, she is confident, she is doing well in school, she loves being in school, and even though it’s challenging at times, she is trying and given the opportunity to be successful,” said Zelek.
If the school closes down, parents say their special needs children could be placed in regular classrooms through an inclusion model.
“We did it and it didn’t work,” said parent Jennifer Brooks.
They believe the model would cost the province more money.
“If you try and put different students in different schools with different supports, do you think that makes sense? Or having all the supports in one place makes sense,” said Kalsi.
“This is a special place, a safe space. They have a human right to an education and they would not get the same education in regular schools,” added Zelek.
CityNews also reached out to the province for comment but has not received a response.
