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Mike Moghrabi with his wife, Andrea Tonchin, and daughters Maya, 7, (left) and Rachel, 5. Phil Carpenter, The Gazette
Westpark registration frustrates disabled parent
KAREN SEIDMAN
The Gazette
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Mike Moghrabi with his wife, Andrea Tonchin, and daughters Maya, 7, (left) and Rachel, 5. Phil Carpenter, The Gazette
With registration at Westpark elementary school in Dollard des Ormeaux at full capacity, at least one parent is fuming about the unfairness of having to send a younger sibling to a different school.
When Mike Moghrabi went to register his younger daughter, Rachel, for kindergarten at Westpark, he was told he’s no longer zoned for the school and since the registration was full, Rachel would have to attend Beechwood elementary school in Pierrefonds.
He was outraged that the principal and the Lester B. Pearson School Board wouldn’t do anything to accommodate him so that the siblings wouldn’t have to be split up.
“I just want them to add one more kid and I know I’m the only one in this category, so it’s not like it would lead to a flood of kids,” Moghrabi said. “But the principal told me she’s not making any exceptions and the school board told me there’s no chance. It’s just not right.”
He said he waited outside for a weekend to get his older daughter into Westpark school, but since then, his Dollard home has been zoned out of Westpark’s territory and the admission rules have been changed so that Rachel is no longer given sibling priority.
To further complicate matters, Moghrabi has multiple sclerosis and was counting on having his older daughter, Maya, escort Rachel into school every morning so it would make it a lot easier for him, since he is handicapped.
But Pearson chairperson Marcus Tabachnick said the rules are the rules.
“There are more registrations than space at Westpark and there’s nothing you can do,” he said. “It’s oversubscribed. I understand it’s really tough on some families.”
Tabachnick apologized for the circumstances in an email to Moghrabi.
Moghrabi says the principal and school board are being inflexible.
“I know that (the principal) is allowed to make exceptions, but she has chosen to apply the letter of the law rather than the school board’s overriding principle of minimizing disruptions to children and families.”