Car park opening makes school a safer place

"Now we can honestly say we provide a safe learning environment for our students."

Marco School principal Jen Vincent says it is "pure luck" there has not been a serious accident outside the school gates in the past with no off-highway parking available.

With a brand new carpark now created, that problem is no more, and Jen says she is delighted with the new parking space.

We have been fighting for this for more than four years. We believed it was a safety issue for our pupils and our community, but it took some time for the ministry to agree.

Marco School principal Jen Vincent

Jen says when the Marco School Board of Trustees first applied for funding to develop the car park, the Ministry of Education (MOE) determined the car park fell into a 'discretionary' category for funding, rather than health and safety.

"We disagreed. We believed, and still do, that having a safe place for pupils to be dropped off and collected is about their safety, it isn't a luxury but a necessity."

Jen and the school community weren't the only ones who saw it that way and when their funding application was declined by the ministry, school property manager, John Gower, sought help from Stratford District mayor, Neil Volzke.

"Neil was like a dog with a bone and didn't give up. He agreed it was about health and safety and helped us convince the ministry that it did meet the requirements to then be funded from a health and safety budget."

Speaking at the official opening of the new car park, Neil said he was "happy to argue with the ministry," and delighted when the battle was won.

"It is a fantastic school and they had a clear need for the car park."

It wasn't a whim or an expensive building they wanted; it was somewhere for the pupils to be safely dropped off and picked up. I am glad common sense prevailed in the end.

Stratford Mayor, Neil Volzke

Jen says having Neil cut the ribbon to officially open the new car park was a way of thanking him and recognising his help in dealing with the ministry.

"Our school community is pleased to get the cars off the main highway, and after a long four-year battle to be able to build this car park. I am proud we kept fighting for an issue we always knew was about the health, safety and welfare of our pupils."