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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2009-06-04, Page 17Trustees of the Avon MaitlandDistrict School Board have yet toofficially make their opinions known about the potential closures of elementary schools near Exeter and Wingham. But they have reached agreement on another key point: they want the public to know the decisions are not yet made. “This board hasn’t made a decision, and that’s why you’re still seeing a lot of questions being raised by the trustees, a lot of requests for clarification or further information,” said chair Jenny Versteeg, following the board’s most recent regular meeting, Tuesday, May 26. A staff recommendation for the closure of Usborne Central Public School, on the outskirts of Exeter, is scheduled to come before the board at its next regular meeting, Tuesday, June 9. Two weeks later, a similar fate awaits a staff recommendation for the closure of Blyth Public School and Turnberry Central Public School. In both cases, some Grades 7 and 8students would be shifted into thelocal high school.Offering a prediction about theboard’s next two regular meetings,education director Chuck Reid commented, “they’re both going to be pretty long.” Communications manager Steve Howe, when asked if any accommodations will be made for possible public gallery overflow in the board’s meeting room, said no consideration has yet been undertaken. But he admitted it might be wise to think about crowd size. In the public gallery at the May 26 meeting, there was little evidence of the looming controversy – although the four people present, all from the Wingham area, amounted to four more than usually attend. Around the table there was, however, discussion about both Usborne and Central/East/North Huron – mostly in the form of responses to trustee requests from superintendents Mike Ash and Janet Baird-Jackson. Ash fielded questions about the possibility of scrapping the Usborneaccommodation review in favour of aSouth Huron-wide process – to beginas early as next September. Thesuperintendent confirmed that,according to provincial government policy, it is permissible to remove a school (Usborne) from an accommodation review one year, only to put it back on an accommodation review a few months later. He added, however, that “the wording in both provincial documents is, although it’s desirable not to do it within a five-year window, it is possible.” Baird-Jackson, meanwhile, described the admittedly hard-to- follow process through which the board has applied for “Local Priorities” funding from the Education Ministry for the Central/East/North Huron accommodation review. The most recent version of the Avon Maitland funding application differs from the existing staff recommendation – in that it proposes a new kindergarten-to-Grade 6 school, instead of merelyconsolidating five schools into threeexisting buildings. But it still proposes relocatingGrades 7 and 8s into F.E. MadillSecondary School – something which has inspired strong public opposition. According to Baird-Jackson, Avon Maitland officials feel the ministry is most likely to approve an application if it can be shown that the board heeded community input. That’s part of the reason why a new school is proposed. But, regarding the community’s opposition to relocating the senior elementary students, she suggested the Ministry has also made it clear it will be less likely to approve funding if boards fail to address problems of excess capacity – such as currently exists at F.E. Madill – in its proposed solutions. Huron East/Central Huron trustee Shelley Kaastra inquired of Baird- Jackson: “If the board decided to do something different (than a K-6 school), those funds would have to come out of our budget, correct?” And the business superintendentresponded, “I’m not sure where themoney would come from. In terms offinancing, the ministry has putboards, shall we say, on a very shortrope. And anything that we have in a reserve fund may well be required for (new school construction in) St. Marys.” Education director Chuck Reid, in an interview after the May 26 meeting, said the trustees genuinely want to uncover all possible funding and accommodation alternatives prior to making decisions. “The information that came forward tonight and will continue coming forward isn’t being provided to do any posturing for the public, to convince them that the decisions aren’t already made,” Reid told reporters. “This is real data, and (trustees) genuinely want to use this in their decision-making process.” In her report to trustees, Baird- Jackson said she still hopes to hear from the Education Ministry – prior to the board’s June 23 decision – about Local Priorities funding. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009. PAGE 17. 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