A group of parents from St. Nicholas, the only Catholic school within the downtown core, are determined to convince the board otherwise. On the eve of the final day of the school year, they have started what is going to be a summer-long project of getting their arguments out there to decision-makers in the community.

The project stems from the recommendations of the Niagara Catholic District School Board's accommodation review committee, which studied six elementary schools within the city.

At the committee's fourth public meeting held last Thursday, members, who include the superintendent of education, a trustee, principals and parish and school council representatives, presented seven recommendations. Among them were recommendations to consolidate three schools into others -- St. Nicholas into St. Denis, Michael J. Brennan with St. James and Our Lady of Fatima with St. Alfred.

Other recommendations deal with ensuring that if consolidations occur, the integration process includes the church, school and parent communities, and that the identities of the old schools are retained. As well, since St. Nicholas is the only school affiliated with the Cathedral of St. Catharines of Alexandria, the committee recognized the need to keep with it called a "home and school connection." The committee also called on the board to consult with the city on the future of the school buildings and the downtown development and revitalization committee on the future of St. Nicholas specifically.

None of the recommendations are set in stone. A school valuation report comprising all the work of the committee will be presented to staff by Sept. 19, after which they will have 30 days to study it before making recommendations to the board of trustees. The board will then hold another public meeting to gather further input and staff will make a final presentation to trustees in December, when they will vote.

Yvonne Wowk, who has a child at St. Nicholas, said there are several reasons to maintain a school in the core, among them the connection with the cathedral and the efforts taking place to encourage more residents in the downtown.

As well, she said, many St. Nicholas students are recent immigrants who historically settle in this area of the city initially, in part to be close to services, such as those provided at the nearby Folk Arts Council Multicultural Centre.

"Initially, when they first come, they come downtown and we're there for them," she said.

The parents plan to spend the summer lobbying for their cause, getting support from local businesses and other parents, sending letters to all trustees and newspapers, and trying to enlist the support of the mayor, whose comments to the police service board about the need for a downtown presence, they believe, align perfectly with their cause.

Lee Ann Forsythe-Sells, the board's superintendent of education, said in an interview that their consultant projected continued declining enrollment at St. Nicholas. However, she said, the committee is aware of the efforts to transform the downtown and will consider information that points to different numbers down the road.

"That was the desire of the working committee," she said.