HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-11-05, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009.Opportunities and potential
scenarios were discussed at last
week’s community meeting
concerning the possible closure of
Grey Central Public School.
While many of those in attendance
had a special connection to Grey
Central, the community was urged
not to think of the issue as an “us
versus them” scenario. Uniting both
schools against potential closure
could very well be the best defense
against the closure of both Grey
Central and Brussels Public School,
said Huron East deputy-mayor
Bernie MacLellan.
“If we get into an us versus them
situation,” he said, “in the end, it’s
going to be no one.”
Other members of the
Accommodation Review Committee
(ARC) agreed, saying that this
review could be looked upon as an
opportunity for the community,
rather than a hindrance.
“We can look at our community
and think about the future. We need
to do what’s best and help shape
what we want to see for our children
and residents,” said Armand Roth,
Grey Central’s parent council
representative. “This is our chance to
become more involved.”
Community representative Pam
McLellan said, “We do have input.
Hopefully we can come up with a
positive solution that the board will
see merit in.”
Susan Alexander, the ARC’s
parent council alternate
representative, said that the Avon
Maitland District School Board’s
projections show major capital costs
were the downfall of Brussels Public
School and that a projected declining
enrolment is what has brought Grey
Central into the review, in addition
to each school’s proximity to the
other.
The enrolment figures stated by
superintendent of education and
school operations Mike Ash in The
Citizen on Oct. 22, however, came
under heavy fire.
“Those figures are wrong,” said
Alexander. “[Grey Central’s
enrollment is] actually more like 80
per cent.”
It is, however, the board’s
projections, forecasting from now
until 2022, that show the school
eventually dipping below the 50 per
cent mark at the end of the
projection period.
However, Alexander said, it’s a
safe bet that at least one of the two
schools will close.
MacLellan reiterated Alexander’s
point and stressed the importance of
a united Huron East front, especially
from council’s point of view. And
while MacLellan acknowledged the
connection that many of those in
attendance had to Grey Central, he
said that going to the board with a
compromise is the community’s bestoption. He also said that a unitedcommunity has the best chance tochallenge the board and that getting
into a competitive state of mind
between the two schools will not
help the situation.
Despite the concerns surrounding
the construction of rooms added to
Brussels Public School, MacLellan
said that from a “black and white”
standpoint, it would make more
sense to build a new school in
Brussels, as opposed to Grey
Central. One of the major issues he
stated was that Grey Central is not
currently on a municipal water
system.
When a new building was
hypothetically discussed, MacLellan
said that if a new building was to be
built in Brussels to accommodate the
Brussels Public School students as
well as the Grey Central students
who didn’t travel north to Elma
Township Public School, it would
most likely have to be on a new site,
something Huron East has yet to
even discuss.
In an effort to present the most
cost-effective solution to the board,
MacLellan said that with 70 per cent
of students walking to Brussels
Public School, that would save
transportation costs.
Alexander has been garnering the
support of several community
groups that have use of the school.
She said this is important in showing
that the building has much more
value to the community than just
being a school.
In addition to its regular classes,
Grey Fire Dept. breakfasts are held
there, community groups hold
meetings and events there as well in
addition to the cross-country meets,
baseball and soccer games that are
all held on the school’s grounds.
Trumping all of those uses,
however, is the environmental
learning grounds that sit on Grey
Central’s 23 acres of land.
The environmental learning
grounds, sitting on land that was
originally donated to the school
board years ago, holds many
educational opportunities that
should be available to rural students
said volunteers involved with the
learning grounds, that could be lost
if the school was to close.
There are, however, merits to
keeping the environmental learning
grounds open even if the school
were to close, said one of the
volunteers involved with the project.
Years ago, she said, volunteers
worked with Esther Buck from the
Maitland Valley Conservation
Authority to design a curriculum that
would surround the environmental
learning grounds. This was initially
conceived as a money-making
venture for Grey Central where
visiting schools would be charged by
the student to access the grounds.
This project could be taken back
off the shelf to give the school moremerit as an educational centre thatcould provide value to the area.One of the major issues
surrounding the closure of either
Brussels or Grey Central Public
Schools, however, was the economic
impact a closure would have on the
community. This was another reason
why a school in Brussels should be
considered, said MacLellan.
While the issue had been
discussed earlier at the council level,
it was reiterated at last week’s
meeting that the closure of Brussels
Public School would kill any chance
of economic development in the
village, which could really hurt the
area.
Kathy Nichol, a Brussels business-
owner said the economic impact of a
school closure would be devastating
and asked what other business-
owners like her could do to help.
Alexander encouraged business-
owners to come to meetings and
have their voices be heard, because
while the board does want to help
the community in which its schools
reside, its first priority is the
education of students across the
whole of the board.
Alexander urged those in
attendance to not blame the school
board for the situation the school
finds itself in. She said it is part of a
bigger problem with the provincial
government.
“Funding is being cut,” Alexander
said. “The school boards aren’t to
blame, it’s the government.”
The first official meeting of the
ARC was last night (Nov. 4) at
Brussels Public School with the next
meeting taking place at Grey Central
Public School on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.
In appreciation
Brussels Agricultural Society president Dorothy Cummings
presented Don McNeil with framed photos from the annual
fall fair parades, recognizing his participation in the event
for the past 50 years. McNeil first rode this 1928 Model A
Ford, in its more natural state, in the 1959 parade at the
age of 14. Each year it is adorned with a new item and each
year folks turn out to see how it’s been outfitted for this
parade. McNeil estimates the car hasa travelled the routes
of 300 parades through the years. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
Residents hear scenarios
Graduation
DENNIS RIJKHOFF
Gerry and Thea Rijkhoff are very proud to announce the
graduation of their son Dennis from the Master of
Architecture program at the University of Toronto,
June 2009.
At the graduation ceremony, Dennis received the Alpha Rho
Chi Bronze Medal in recognition for his contribution to the
University’s Student Community as President of the
Graduate Architecture, Landscape & Design Student Union.
Prior to his Master’s degree, Dennis completed his Bachelor
of Engineering Science in Civil Engineering at The
University of Western Ontario, London.
Dennis graduated from St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary
School in 2001 after attending elementary school at St.
James Catholic Elementary School in Seaforth and Walton
Public School in Walton.
Currently, Dennis works in Toronto at MHKW Architects Inc.
Congratulations from Mom, Dad, Nadine, Sandy & Ben,
Benjamin, Tristan & Anik, Stephanie & Dann.
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen