Secret Decision on Monte Cecilia School’s Closure a Shocker

Auckland City Councillors Glenda Fryer and Cathy Casey are shocked that the future of Monte Cecilia school in Hillsborough is to be decided by a secret meeting on Wednesday 3rd February at 1.30 in the confidential section of the Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee meeting of Auckland City Council.

Says Cr Cathy Casey “It is really important that this vital decision affecting 250 Monte Cecilia school families and 400 parishioners of St John Vianney is made in public and I will be moving to bring the report into the public section of the meeting excluding the small amount of commercially sensitive information’.

Says Cr Glenda Fryer “The decision the Committee is about to make is being forced through the agenda by Citizens and Ratepayers Councillors led by David Hay, who want to rush through a decision with indecent haste. The November meeting of the Committee set up a Working Party of the School, the Council and the Catholic Diocese which has only met once two days before Christmas, and who has yet to discuss any of the substantive issues. The parishioners only heard about the closure of the school last week in a church newsetter.”

In addition to asking that the closure of the school be discussed in public the Councillors will be asking the Council to delay and further decisions until the school community and the parish are fully consulted.

“To make this important decision we need to have all the available information including financial implications for the ratepayers of the new Auckland Council, and heritage reports. To date we have not seen any of these. We have been asked to make a decision based on incomplete and withheld information. It is just not good enough and certainly not democratic.” Says Cr Glenda Fryer

“Those most affected by this decision - the pupils and families of Monte Cecilia school community and the St John Vianney parishioners - must be given the opportunity to respond to the backroom deal that appears to have been struck between Council and the Catholic Diocese.” concludes Cr Casey.

ENDS

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