13 October 2000

Ron,
We have now received your letter to the parents handed out this
afternoon to our children.
I am shaken to understand that what we, the Chataigneraie parents, had
believed to be a decision to be taken is now described, by yourself, as
a decision taken by the Board at their October session. Please reread my
last Email to understand the position of the entire long-term La Chât.
parent community on this. We will certainly require a second vote on
grounds of lack of communication with the community.
Apart from this very disturbing issue, the new campus is, as we all
know, a necessity. However, history points to new schools filling up and
growing gradually in order to remain financially viable (see the growth
of our two main campuses - it was not over-night.) To break up two
functioning and excellent schools in order to finance the "unprecedented
funds (50 - 60 millions CHF)" (where, by the way have these funds been
when we have tried logical developments such as rebuilding the swimming
pool, enlarging the Primary, etc.?), is a risk that should not be taken.

If this is "the result of many months of analysis and debate", why
have we, the parents and staff concerned, been kept in the dark?
You suggest that we ask our children: the seniors of La Chât. have,
of their own accord, prepared a petition which has, in one day,
collected one hundred student signatures against this decision: I am
informed that not one of the students asked was for the idea. This
petition will be presented to the Chairman of the CDG on Tuesday 24.
My husband has raised the fact that many La Chât. parents have
bought property in the Canton de Vaud (where the main housing expansion
is taking place as Geneva has little space) in order to enable their
children to attend the school without long travel.
The other issue that concerns us is that of transport: as many of
us gratefully drive our children to one campus (I speak for those of us
who have had the good fortune to be able to find places for all of our
children at La Chât.), the idea of sending them to a campus in town
where the public transport is notoriously bad, particularly given the
very irregular timetables of senior students, is unthinkable. We have
chosen a school in the country, where the temptations during "free
periods" are limited to those available on campus. We do not wish to
change that decision.
We understand that the Board has not made this decision lightly:
however, we know that you will welcome a broader and more informed
debate on the subject and, together with many parents who have
supported both financially and morally
the excellent education proffered by the International School at La
Châtaigneraie for many years, we hope for your rapid response to our
request.
Yours sincerely,
Philippa Romig.