100 reasons to do this.

1 Huntley Centennial was built for 360 students; it now houses more than 550.

2 The school is at over 130% capacity and will continue to grow along with the surrounding area. Adding more portables is not an effective answer.

3 There are nine portables already on site.

4 The maximum number of portables specified for Huntley is eight.

5 To date they do not make two storey portables and we have run out of room to put them side by side.

6 Huntley has had 'temporary' portables for 28 years.

7 The teachers cannot use AV carts to transport items up the portable steps.

8 To give students access between portables and the main building, four doors are unlocked and unmonitored, which presents a security risk.

9 Portables cannot be used for physical education space.

10 Portables cannot be used for library space.

11 Portables restrict the view of the playground from the school building.

12 Portables interfere with the play area.

13 Portables do not promote efficient use of teaching time.

14 Doors to portables do not always close properly when temperatures are very cold.

15 Portables are expensive to heat.

16 Portables are unsightly.

17 Wet snowsuits in portables may promote mould, and do create unwanted odors.

18 The pathway to exit a portable may be a fire safety issue.

19 Heat in the portables is difficult to regulate - they are often too hot or too cold.

20 Children don't bother to put their winter boots on in winter to go from the portables into the school. Then they are in wet shoes all day.

21 There is a lot more work for the custodial staff for cleaning portables.

22 There is a concern that the portables contain black mould.

23 Removing teachers and children from the main building creates isolation.

24 We want to bring the kids from the portables into the school to ensure they have better access to clean air, bathrooms, library, the main office and the gym.

25 Children not always supervised while traveling between portables and the main building.

26 Council pays for paper towels for portables and we could spend that money on library books.

27 The 20-child cap next year will further stress already overused facilities.

28 The village and the larger area of West Carleton continue to grow south and east of Carp, yet schools are located to the north and west.

29 The village of Carp is rapidly expanding; 62 new lots are now being offered for sale, with most homes being built within three years. There are also plans to build more than 700 homes at the nearby Carp Airport.

30 A second village development is planned involving 135 lots; a townhouse and condominium development is also on the books for the blocks behind the ScotiaBank and opposite the strip mall on Donald B Munro.

31 The 20/20 building plan for the city of Ottawa calls for Carp to infill and grow by hundreds of homes in the next few years.

32 The school is vital to the growing community of Carp. It's a hub for the community. As the community grows, the needs the school fulfills are also growing.

33 Langstaff is now a busy road.

34 We want to keep our community school dual-track (English and Immersion), therefore we need more space to keep our children in Carp.

35 Our students benefit emotionally and socially from having a community school ranging from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8; we need more space to keep our children together.

36 Builders are having new buyers sign legal papers stating that they are aware of the over-crowding and portables at Huntley.

37 The walkways need to be upgraded.

38 The parking lot needs paving.

39 When seated at their desks, office staff cannot see visitors entering or leaving the school.

40 The children cannot attend an assembly together because the gym is too small.

41 Sick children--even those with bleeding noses, vomiting or fever, have to sit in the foyer or on the principal's couch because there is no dedicated sick room.

42 There is no wheelchair access to the building.

43 Overcrowding is a serious concern for our children's health.

44 Although community demand for after-hour school facilities is growing, community use is minimal due to space constraints.

45 Fund-raising events like the Breakfast with Santa are constricted because they require three alphabetical sittings to accommodate all families.

46 There is no Cafeteria, so children eat at their desks, which is a health hazard.

47 There is no proper music room.

48 Only one of four SK/JK classrooms has dedicated bathroom facilities.

49 The library is used as a temporary classroom.

50 We need a properly equipped staff room with washrooms.

51 The drinking fountains are outdated and unappealing.

52 Demand for the gym far exceeds its availability.

53 Extra portables may house extra students, but there has been no parallel expansion of gym, library, staff or locker space.

54 Existing locker space for Grades 7 and 8 is inadequate.

55 We lack proper extra curricular space inside the school, and the portables restrict and interrupt the space outside the school.

56 The kitchen is very small.

57 The bathrooms are inadequate for the students they serve.

58 We need a building with proper airflow.

59 We need a custodial office where the entire custodial staff can meet and maintain school records.

60 We need a main office that is open concept so the staff can greet people as they enter the school.

61 There is no air conditioning in the school.

62 We need a proper meeting room for parent/teacher/social worker/paraprofessional and other staff to meet when discussing IEP and special needs children.

63 In promoting healthy and active lifestyles and in curbing growing obesity rates, gymnasium and sports activities are crucial at the grade school level. Huntley's gym is woefully small and inadequate for achieving those results.

64 The internal building temperature is hard to regulate.

65 The JK /SK rooms are not designed for this use.

66 The main office is too small.

67 Storage space is at a premium, so chairs are stored in gym change rooms.

68 Students are forced to leave coats and boots on the floor in the corridor because cubbies are so crammed together for lack of space.

69 There is no proper nurse's room.

70 We need space for a health area with a refrigerator to hold ice.

71 We need more space for school records and office supplies.

72 The gym is far too small to accommodate the student population for assemblies, concerts, etc. The students are crowded and uncomfortable.

73 Windows and screens need to be replaced.

74 Grade Three students in portables must eat lunch in the Junior Kindergarten room.

75 We need a private location for teachers to place and receive telephone calls.

76 Asthma sufferers face a greater risk of attacks due to poor air quality.

77 We need a food cupboard and fridge for lunch and milk programs.

78 There is no auditorium.

79 Some classes never open the curtains because the classroom faces outside pedestrian traffic.

80 Plumbing pipes are old and corroded.

81 There is no Industrial Arts room.

82 There is no Home Economics room.

83 There is no Science Lab.

84 The computer lab is used as a temporary classroom.

85 The building is dated, not energy efficient and in need of upgrades.

86 School functions such as Family Dance and Art Show must be held off school property in rented facilities.

87 We need a room large enough to hold staff meetings where everyone can sit at the table together.

88 The school is not optimal for teaching healthy lifestyles.

89 There are questions as to whether or not there is asbestos in the ceiling.

90 We need a proper meeting room for team meetings.

91 The primary play area is not fenced.

92 Huntley's parents are committed to improving the school because we care.

93 We are losing families to other school boards.

94 We have the land on which to build an addition.

95 Huntley has been overlooked for too long.

96 We want what is best for our children and the staff at Huntley.

97 We have been waiting too long.

98 We want to show our children that they are cared about and treated equally by the government.

99 It is unacceptable that the children in Carp are schooled in a sub-standard educational facility.

100 Canada is a "have" country. Ontario is a "have" province. We can do better than this!