Will they stay or will they go?That’s the next question on the table for parents of 500 elementary students at John Fisher Public School, where turmoil has reigned over a 35-storey apartment building about to be erected next door.In an emailed letter from The Toronto District School Board on Friday, parents got instructions for an online vote on where their children will attend classes next fall. Their choices:Staying put during the next three to four years of constructionRelocating the French immersion school near Yonge and Eglinton to Vaughan Road Academy, which is about seven kilometres away and slated to close in June.“I don’t think (moving) was ever a popular choice,” says Mary Mowbray, whose daughter is in Grade 5. Mowbray hasn’t decided how she will respond.Some families have already chosen to return to local English schools as a result of the disruption, despite the shortage of spaces in the area.Mowbray is one of many parents worried that, despite assurances from the TDSB and the developer that the children will be safe, adequate measures are not in place, particularly when it comes to daily monitoring and enforcement of safety standards.She says too many questions remain unanswered about how factors such as excessive noise, dust, traffic and heavy equipment will affect the learning environment and playground activities.Last week, parents, kids and local politicians gathered outside the school for the latest in a string of protests, this time against a recent agreement between the TDSB and developer KG Group following recommendations spelled out in an environmental risk assessment by an outside consultant hired by the board.Under terms of the deal, KG Group will provide $500,000 to offset costs of steps required to mitigate risks, such as new windows and air-conditioning units in the century-old school. Company founder Marvin Katz calls the firm’s efforts to minimize risk “unprecedented” and says t ...
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