Groups of Oshawa parents are doing whatever they can to avoid making those decisions and to convince the school board to keep the schools open. And their points are valid: it’s tough on kids to change schools and enter new, unfamiliar environments; a school closure means a loss to the entire community it’s surrounded by; Catholic education could suffer; intimate small schools will be replaced by huge and possibly crowded school populations.

Add to that the fact that at least dozens of teachers and staff members will be declared redundant and could likely be unemployed come September. Declining enrolment can’t be ignored. It’s a reality that has stretched far beyond Oshawa, becoming apparent across Ontario. However, Oshawa seems to be on an upswing.

The very downtown that is likely to lose its schools is the same area the city is working valiantly to restore and revitalize. Aside from the General Motors Centre and construction on the Regent Theatre and provincial courthouse, new shops, businesses and restaurants seem to spring up all the time.

These improvements pave the way for an increase in residential possibilities in the downtown with condominium developments already underway. Then there’s Oshawa’s waterfront, its future still unclear, but government officials will eventually turn that prized real estate into a vibrant area full of residential and commercial development.

Closing almost half of the Catholic elementary schools seems a drastic measure and possibly the Catholic and public boards will need to unite in order to offer both services equally to a dwindling number of students.