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Angry that their children are bused to a school in a neighbourhood they feel is dangerous, about 50 Somali-Canadian parents and children led a protest at the Toronto District School Board Wednesday night, demanding to address trustees about their concerns.

The group, who live in three highrise buildings on Queen's Plate Dr., near Rexdale Blvd. and Highway 27, have been upset for nearly 10 years that their children must attend a school in the "high-priority neighbourhood" of Jamestown in Rexdale, several busy streets away.

Wednesday, they decided to voice their anger to the board's school programs committee.

While not scheduled to speak, they threatened to stay all night if kept out. After more than half an hour of heated discussion, their spokeswoman, Hibo Hagi-Nur, was allowed to deliver a heartfelt presentation to trustees.

"It isn't fair; we were moved from a first-class school to a school in a scary neighbourhood," she said. "But we want our children to be safe and the time is up."

Hagi-Nur is one of about 70 Somali immigrants whose children attend Elmbank Junior Middle Academy in Jamestown, where students face poverty and violence and struggle in school.

She and her neighbours want their children to attend Humberwood Downs Junior Middle Academy, with its high-test scores and few discipline problems. Humberwood Downs is in a largely middle-class neighbourhood, a short walk from their homes.

The boundaries were changed 10 years ago, when it seemed Humberwood Downs could not fit everyone in this boom area.

The parents will meet Monday with members of the board's planning and equity departments.

With a growing grasp of English, emerging sense of Canadian parents' rights and the help of advocacy group Education Action Toronto, it was a small political victory for a group just getting their political groove after grappling for a decade to understand Toronto's school system.

"We came from a dictatorial place, and our mindset was not to fight for our rights," said Hagi-Nur, a mother of four. It has been nine years since she walked her 4-year-old son to the doors of Humberwood Downs, only to learn he would have to be bused to a school too far away for her to walk.

"Our children can't stay late for after-school tutoring or they miss the bus, so they are falling behind," she said.

Trustee John Hastings said boundary changes are "very complicated and nearly intractable and certainly cannot be solved overnight."

However, board sources suggested after Wednesday's meeting that changes were not out of the question.

As well, officials suggested some tutoring might be provided in the apartment complex itself.

"We will continue to listen to their concerns, but there is no room at Humberwood to add portables," said board superintendent Annie Appleby, who met recently with the families to discuss their complaint.

Hersi Ali is the father of three children at Elmbank and two who recently graduated from there. In an angry outburst Wednesday night, he said, "We've been waiting 10 years to get help and the Somali community now understands the Canadian culture and I know my rights. I'm asking for something to be done."

The group rented a school bus Wednesday to bring families from their apartments to board headquarters on Yonge St. near Sheppard Ave.

"We want to meet the trustees tonight to get action," said Khadija Omar, whose son studies at Elmbank.

"We are prepared to sleep here all night until we get an answer. We are sick of not being heard."