Polling station at school a risk to students: parents

By News Staff

Parents at a Scarborough public school are raising concerns over the school being used as a polling station on election day, saying it will put students at risk.

“Why, after so many school shootings and horrible attacks, are we allowing our public schools to be used as polling stations?” Jennifer Reid, a parent with a seven-year-old at Dorset Park Public School, told CityNews.

“During any other school day our schools are locked, visitors must ring a bell and be allowed to enter the school,” she said. “But on election day, anyone can enter our schools while our children walk the halls to and from classes or are in the class next door.”

Reid said she first grew concerned during the last federal election. She reached out to Elections Canada and received no response. The principal said it was a board decision.

When she picked up her daughter on election day, Oct. 19, 2015, she said she saw strangers wandering the halls, not at the polling station, without any security present.

“Opening the doors to anyone going in, sexual predators or anyone with ill intent, it opens up the opportunity to walk into our schools,” Reid said. “It makes me very scared.”

She added she has been sharing her concerns on Facebook, with fellow parents at parent council meetings, and with colleagues who have students at other schools.

“It worries me that it will take something happening for them to really make the change,” she said.

Reid said she has reached out to Elections Ontario, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), and her daughter’s school principal to voice her concerns as well, but hasn’t heard anything back.

She has asked that parents receive notification that a polling station will be held at the school prior to June 7.

Nureen Chaudhary, who has a son in junior kindergarten, said she was informed about the polling station being held at the school by Reid at a parent council meeting and it freaked her out.

Chaudhary said she never thought about the dangers until she had a child of her own.

She recalled when she was a high school student, her school was used as a polling station.

“But we were in high school. We were older kids,” she said. “But now that it’s with my kids and he’s only four, it changes things.”

She said she thinks it’s simply not safe.

“If you think you have to lock the doors on a daily basis to prevent anything from happening, why is it OK on election day? Why does it change?”

Chaudhary wants some assurances that there will be firm security measures in place.

TDSB spokesman Ryan Bird told CityNews school boards, including the TDSB, are required to provide space in schools for polling stations under Ontario’s Election Act.

“If there are any concerns, schools can work directly with Elections Ontario to determine if any additional security is required,” he said.

Meanwhile, spokeswoman Jessica Pellerin said Elections Ontario follows the policies of the school boards and takes direction from school principals on whether security is required.

“When security is requested, it may be an external security company or parent volunteers,” she said in an email. “Ultimately, it is the school’s principal who makes final decisions and issues requests regarding security requirements.

“Where possible, officials try to use doors or entrances that are directly adjacent to the voting area, but sometimes this is not feasible when considering accessibility concerns. In addition, poll officials are aware that voters may not loiter in the polls after casting their ballot, and work to move traffic in and out of the location quickly and efficiently.”

Reid said that’s not good enough.

Both she and Chaudhary said they will be keeping their children out of school on election day.

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