HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-04-15, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010.Board trustees to take final vote June 22Continued from page 1trustee vote on the recommendationsis scheduled for Tuesday, June. 22.The accommodation reviewprocess began in September, 2009with the creation of a community-
based Accommodation Review
Committee (ARC), in keeping with
the board’s school closure policy.
The review was spurred by a
combination of unused student
spaces in Grey Central Public
School in Ethel and Wallace Public
School in Gowanstown, as well as a
scarcity of space in Brussels.
In the staff report presented at the
April 13 meeting, a total of eight
different scenarios were analyzed:
four brought forward by the
“Majority” membership of the ARC,
two from the “Minority” –
representing supporters of Grey
Central and Brussels – and two from
Avon Maitland staff. They cover a
wide range of possibilities, including
calls for closure of all five
elementary schools and the
construction of two brand new
replacement facilities.
The report’s authors
acknowledged support for “a
solution that would see the overall
reduction of schools in the review
area by two to three schools.” There
appear, however, to be two main
roadblocks to such a proposal: the
relatively up-to-date condition of
Listowel Eastdale Public School;
and the unlikely prospect of securing
Education Ministry funding for two
new buildings as opposed to just
one.
“Given that Listowel Eastdale is
for all intents and purposes a new
facility, it would be unlikely that the
Ministry . . . would approve the
removal of the school from the
board’s inventory,” the report states.
Further into the report, instead of a
new school in Brussels and Grey
Wards, is a suggestion for the
adjustment of boundaries for both
elementary and secondary students
in Huron East, as well as seeking
financial support for a four-room
addition to Brussels Public.
“The use of existing capacity in
neighbouring schools would further
reduce the projected enrolment for a
new school in Brussels or Grey.
What may well be more palatable (to
the Education Ministry) from a
funding perspective is an addition to
one of the existing schools in Huron
East.”
Ministry funding of any type,
however, may represent a more
complicated challenge than the
board has faced during other recent
school consolidation processes.
That’s because, during recent
decisions to close schools and
undertake new construction or major
renovations in Goderich, St. Marys
and North Huron, aging elementaryschools qualified for replacementfunding under the Ministry’s former“prohibitive to repair” program. Thistime, not only does the program notexist, but it’s unlikely any of the five
elementary schools would have
qualified anyway.
As a result, the staff
recommendations presented on April
13 have conditions attached, related
to when – or if – the board can
secure government funding. The
report identifies Sept. 1, 2011 as the
make-or-break date for pursuing
staff’s preferred path.
“Assuming that the board receives
capital funding from the Ministry of
Education,” the document states,
“close Grey Central and send its K-6
students to Brussels . . . Close
Wallace PS and Listowel Central PS
and build a new K-8 school.”
Complications arise when
considering Grades 7 and 8 students.
The F.E. Madill campus will
accommodate those from Brussels
and the portion of the Grey Central
catchment area from which students
traditionally attended high school in
Wingham. Without a similar option
for the traditional Listowel District
Secondary School portion of theGrey Central catchment area,however, the report proposessending Grades 7 and 8 studentsfrom that area to Elma TownshipPublic School.
Elsewhere, boundaries would be
adjusted to send all Morris Township
students to the Wingham schools;
and to realign the catchment area
and grade configuration for Listowel
Eastdale – which is currently K-6.
This would give it “sufficient
enrolment to be sustainable for
program delivery.
The report adds that “the current
boundaries have students who reside
very close to Listowel Eastdale
bused to Elma Township. As
residential development unfolds in
this area (of Listowel) the current
boundaries should be re-examined.”
If funding is not available by Sept.
1, 2011, the report proposes moving
ahead with the Grey
Central/Brussels Public/Elma
Township portion of the changes, but
holding off on the new North Perth
school and Eastdale addition.
The public can register to make a
public delegation to trustees during
any upcoming regular meeting. The
board aims to make it easier for arearesidents to do that, by moving itsnext regular meeting, Tuesday, April27, to Elma Township Public School.
Blyth Festival Theatre
423 Queen St., Blyth
All Seats: $20 (incl. GST)
www.BlythFestival.com AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY!
Tickets ON SALE NOW the Theatre Box Office
Or Charge by Phone at (519) 523-9300
or 1-877-862-5984 (toll free)
ONE SHOW ONLY! Sunday, April 18, 2010 3 pm
Londesborough Lions Club’s
1st Annual Fish Fry
Saturday, May 1
4:30-7:00 pm
Londesborough Hall
$12 per person ~ Preschoolers free
Take-out available
Tickets available at: Londesborough Restaurant,
Langford Lumber - Clinton, Walton Inn, Winthrop General Store,
Scrimgeour’s Food Market, Blyth
Join
Us!
Limited tickets
available at the door
All proceeds to Clinton
Salvation Army
Fire Relief Fund
Old Tyme
Country Breakfast
Sunday, April 18
9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
at Londesborough Hall
• Eggs • Bacon • Sausage
• Pancakes and Homefries
Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.00
Children Under 12 . . . . . . . . . $3.00
Sponsored by Londesborough Lions Club
Proceeds for Community Betterment
Wow! Look at
all those candles
Good job there is a
fireman handy!!
Happy 50th
Birthday Girl
Buck & Doefor
Kyle Elliott &
Paula Bowles
Come party with them
before the BIG day!
Saturday, April 24th
Mitchell Arena
9 pm - 1 am
Tickets
$7 in advance, $9 at the door
For tickets please call
Caitlin 519-291-8255
or Rob 519-229-6606
Age of majority. Sweet prizes.
Late lunch provided.
Great job!
Jaidan Grisdale was honoured at Blyth Public School last
week for her Remembrance Day poster that went as far as
it could go over the past few months. Her poster won first
place in the primary colour category in the area, then in the
zone and then in the district. Her poster ended up coming
up just short, earning her second place in the province and
a healthy day’s pay with nearly $200 among the three wins.
From left: Blyth Legion youth education chair Andy Lubbers,
Grisdale and Crystal Taylor, Blyth Legion president and
District C youth education chair. It had been 10 years since
a Blyth student placed at provincials, Taylor said. (Shawn
Loughlin photo)