The parents of students attending schools that the English Montreal School Board has identified for potential closure were given hope at Monday night's council of commissioners' meeting.

With the EMSB considering sending the closures six of its schools to a public consultation process, angered and puzzled parents are wondering what they can do to save their respective schools.

Commissioner Agostino Cannovino didn't necessarily find a way for them to do that.

But by presenting a motion and getting it passed to add Carlyle Elementary to the list of schools that may be closed after the council voted against its inclusion at last week's meeting, he may have inadvertently given those parents inspiration that council decisions are not set in stone.

"I took the liberty of revisiting the whole of last week's meeting," Cannovino said. "I reviewed it, I spoke to one of the commissioners to get additional information in regards to where the school is situated, the benefits of the school and the benefits of having both schools housed under the same facility, and hence this is one of the reasons that I brought it forth."

The most vocal of the parents who have opposed the possible closure of their schools have been those at Nesbitt School in Rosemount.

Those parents argue that Nesbitt has a healthy enrollment of 422 students, but the school board sees that approximately 80 per cent of those students are bused to school as a negative point.

Still, the parents arrived at Monday's meeting seeking answers.

"We're completely mystified," Julie Barlow told CTV Montreal's Derek Conlon prior to the meeting.

Then, Cannovino's motion was passed, adding Carlyle Elementary to a list of six other schools that may be facing closure, including Nesbitt, St. Brendan in Rosemount, Fraser Academy in St. Laurent, James Lyng High School in St. Henri, St. Gabriel in Point St. Charles and St. John Bosco in Ville émard.

The fact Carlyle was originally rejected as a potential candidate for closure and then accepted afterwards has shown at least one Nesbitt parent that the council is open to reversing its own decisions.

"It's created a precedent," said Vicky Rivard. "Meaning that if they are able and willing to reconsider one situation, one proposition, then there's a possibility that maybe someone - one of the commissioners, obviously the commissioner for Nesbitt - could potentially put forth a reconsideration vote for Nesbitt."