MONTREAL - Concerned parents from Royal Vale School confronted commissioners of the English Montreal School Board Wednesday to show their disapproval with a proposal to move part of the school to Cote St. Luc.

The group marched to the EMSB headquarters Wednesday afternoon for a noisy protest before a school board meeting.

Royal Vale is the last public English high school in Notre Dame de Grace and some parents are desperately fighting to save that part of the school.

The EMSB has long been seeking a plan to make use of the building that used to house Wagar High School in Cote St. Luc, which was closed in 2005.

That building is currently used for adult education courses and special needs high school students.

Proposals to transform Wagar into a school that focuses on sports and languages have received weak responses from parents, which left the board to debating whether high school students from Royal Vale should be moved to the empty building.

The overwhelming majority of children who attend Royal Vale live in NDG, and many parents have expressed the fact that they not only prefer having a school in their neighbourhood, but also prefer that their children can stay in the same building from kindergarten to Grade 11.

Furthermore, Royal Vale is reputed as one of the best schools in the English network.

"In our last high school graduating class, most of the students ended up in science programs in Cegep -- hard to get into science programs in Cegep -- and that's because they've been nurtured from K to 11," said parent Jim Pfaus.

The battle has been emotional for many parents who voiced their outrage over the proposal and have launched a website to raise community awareness about the proposal.

Local city councillors also took part in the demonstration.

"By disbanding the school you're going to be driving parents into the private school network and that's all there is to it," said city councillor Marvin Rotrand.

Some Royal Vale parents, however, favour the move, pointing out that the Wagar building is 20 years newer and will have access to a nearby sports complex.

"We're talking about a brand new aquatic centre across the street. We're talking about unfettered access to an arena, we're talking about complimentary services through our world-renowned library," said Nail Chazin, who favours the move.

But others say a move is paramount to a death sentence for Royal Vale.

"If the school moves, Royal Vale is finished. Wagar died on that spot; if they want to move Royal Vale there it will die too," said Aliyah Ahmed, who opposes the move.

The English Montreal School Board will make a decision on the school in early January. Parents say if the EMSB decides to move Royal Vale, they'll take the board to court.