HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-11-12, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009.Continued from page 1one hour, though Hugh Cox,information and reporting analyst,said that this didn’t take intoconsideration such things asconstruction.
To keep to the one hour, the board
would put more buses on the road,
said Ash.
In his remarks Ash mentioned a
“misrepresentation” from The
Citizen story of the Grey public
meeting which stated the school was
at 50 per cent capacity. This, he said,
was into the future. “I did not say
now.”
Ash also questioned information
from a Grey parent who had said the
board’s calculation of 400 empty
student spaces in the six schools was
inaccurate. Using the “most recent
preliminary” numbers for this school
year, he said, there are currently 380
empty spaces, not just over 200 as the
parent had said.
However, as none of these spaces
are at Brussels school, the question
was raised as to why it’s on the
review. ARC municipal
representative, Huron East deputy-
reeve Bernie MacLellan wondered
what information the trustees had
received to make them decide
Brussels should be on this review and
asked if the committee could be given
the same information.
“When I look through the report
I’m having problems justifying this.
Brussels doesn’t needs funds and has
full attendance. I would like to know
at some point where the sales pitch
came from..” said MacLellan. “If we
don’t get open debate about what got
the trustees convinced, it makes it
hard to vote.”
Ash said there had been no
intention to hide anything from the
ARC. “There was dialogue that went
with the report. I guess what we
didn’t do is re-present the report.”
MacLellan said, “As long as we can
have debate on the actual information
I’m willing to carry on.”
Jeff Bannerman, councillor for
North Perth wondered about the
impact of all-day kindergarten. Cox
said that has not currently been taken
into consideration.
“It makes a big difference in each
and every one of these facilities,” said
Bannerman. “We need this to help
make decisions.”
Ash promised that the information
would be made available to the
committee as soon as the board had
it.
While Ash reminded that neither of
the options was a done deal, but
simply a beginning point, Hoy asked
if the committee could be told what
isn’t realistic so they don’t waste
time.
Ash offered little hope for
combining Brussels and Grey into
one new school, saying the board has
not heard of any funding for new
schools at this point. New additions
would be possible if they “make an
existing school more efficient,” said
superintendent of business Janet
Baird-Jackson.
“We wouldn’t have put option B on
the table if we didn’t think (an
addition) was a reasonable option,”
said Ash.
Ash also explained that money
from the sale of Victoria Public
School in Goderich has to go into a
reserve which could potentially beused towards an addition to a schoolin this accommodation review. Jim Prior, a Brussels representativeasked if there was an announcementof funding for a new school if the
process could be stopped and another
option be submitted.
“If the stars aligned and there was a
promise of a cheque in May, the
trustees can apply on information
received. They have an excellent
track record of doing their own
thing,” said Ash of the trustees’
decisions based on board
recommendations.
“We have never implemented the
first proposal staff has put on the
table.”
MacLellan noted that a number of
boards that had moved Grades 7 and
8 into high schools were now
moving them out. He asked if the
board could look into the reasons
behind this decision. “I’d like to find
out the justification.”
Opening the floor to public
comment brought concerns about the
children’s well-being.
Huron East mayor Joe Seili said
that he had heard what was in the best
interest of the board and trustees but
had yet to hear what was in the best
interest of the area children.
He apologized to Perth ARC
members “who had come to do a
heck of a job and will get no thanks.
But when it comes to a vote, it’s not
your schools.”
Seili challenged Baird Jackson
saying that three years ago she had
expressed concern because there
wasn’t enough funding to keep buses
on the road. “Now you want to close
a school where kids can walk.”
Former Brussels student Amy Ross
mentioned that walking to school is
often the only exercise many children
get now. She noted that in 1986 the
childhood obesity rate was three per
cent and by 2004 this had more than
doubled to eight per cent.
“You are taking away physical
activity when obesity is a pandemic.”
Brussels parent Dave Bell said he
found it sad that academics were
hardly mentioned at the meeting.
“We really need to think what is best
for the kids,” he said. He also
reminded the board that they are not
the only option. “Seats can go to
different schools. The children here
may never see the public school
system again.”
Ross also referred to comments
that moving Grades 7 and 8 students
into high schools helps teachers
network. “I’m with the Lifesaving
Society of Canada. We don’t need to
send our instructors to one big school
to network. Maybe you need to look
at the people in charge of putting
together these conferences.”
Brussels resident Catrina Josling
mentioned her time on a bus with
high school students while in Grade
7, which offered a quite different
view than the board’s that the older
students look out for the younger
ones. “They tried to marker me every
day. I wouldn’t say it was a great
experience.”
Melissa Jacklin questioned why
she was only hearing ideas that would
mean closing Brussels. “Nothing is
said about keeping it open. Has there
been anything looked at about
changing boundaries so Grey
students would go to Elma andBrussels?” she asked.Ash responded that developingalternatives is the point of thisexercise adding that the ARC if theychose to could explore that
suggestion.
“Okay,” said Jacklin, “I’d like that
to be explored, please.”
Jacklin also asked how many
trustees were present and how many
would vote on the recommendation.Only Versteeg and Huron East trusteeWillie Laurie were in attendance. Ash said that the regulations do notrequire any of the trustees to attendand the remaining seven would get
the information from the minutes and
the ARC report.
The cost to replace the addition
was also raised. Brought to the new
standards for size, the rough estimate
given was $450,000. For MacLellan this wasn’t enoughof a reason for Brussels to be targetedso specifically. “Other thanprojections of what the costs could bein the next 10 years (($319,600) I
can’t find any justification to close
this school.”
The process continues with the
ARC’s next meeting in Grey school,
Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.
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Weather-Master S/T 2
Deputy-mayor wants trustees’ information
First, I wish to extend to those board employees and
trustees present this evening my sincere sympathy as they
try to serve a master that has no thought or regard for
them - the Ministry of Education and their amazingly
byzantine view of life beyond the Etobicoke River.
However, my heartfelt sympathy is reserved for those
people who are here this evening to try and stop a thought
process that has already led to the loss of community
policing, health care, community public services and
direct community governance.
It is a formidable challenge but I think the people of
Brussels are capable of rising to meet it.
I can only say “Thank Heaven” for our excellent
volunteer fire department.
When I retired I chose to retire in Brussels because it is
a multi-dimensional community that has a wide spectrum
of age groups represented. And one of them is the group
that is the future, not only of this community but of this
country – the children.
When this accommodation review was announced I
was quite startled as it is not that many years ago that the
same arguments and ideas were presented and found to
be unconvincing and untenable.
I then went to the material on the website and after a
thorough review am of the same opinion as before.
I would add that the communities of Blyth, East
Wawanosh and Wingham are owed a profound apology
for decisions that have been reached that offer nothing
for education and much for the further deterioration of
community well being.
I also find it most distasteful that currently two
communities are pitted against each other in this matter.
As to the demographer’s report I would remind you
that in the last go round there is on file a demographer’s
report that had Grey growing and Brussels declining. I
am sure the folks in Kincardine, before the nuclear
facility, had just as accurate projections.
Any decisions that are taken must be taken on the
reality of the here and now and it would appear that that
is stability in Brussels and modest decline in Grey – as of
now.
Moving to the Directors Action Report it becomes
clear that this evening is the direct result of arbitrary
formulae – that can, and has been, changed to suit
political masters and their agenda – not from a concern
of delivering first class education to the children.
It is clear that on Page 2 of this report that the actions
of the folk at the Mowat Block has produced the re-
actions of the Avon Maitland Board. Ideas such as
gradeless schools, focusing on human resources, a
renewed emphasis on teaching methodology that works,
increased use of computers and networking for staff and
students and a use of existing community resources that
complement the educational system seems to have never
been considered or lost in the rush to deliver 20th century
solutions to 21st century problems.
The age of buildings is also not a helpful bit of
information; given the emphasis attached to age of
buildings many of us here are living on the edge, as
many residences in Brussels are well over the 51 plus
years mark but, some how , we survive.
Therefore, bolstering the enrolment in another aging
building, Madill, by the inappropriate placement of
Grade 7 and 8 students from Brussels to Wingham is still
not advisable.
There is only one taxpayer and they are here this
evening – those tasked with distributing the resources of
this province have often seemed to have lost sight of this
knowledge and even any “benefits from the government”
cited by the director were bought by the increases we all
pay. Page 6 identifies that there has been no seeming
benefit from this government direction but rather a litany
of failure by the Ministry of Education.
I would conclude by saying that it is neither helpful nor
productive to focus on the negatives produced by the
actions of a flawed system i.e. the Ministry of Education.
I would urge the Board and the Trustees to instead focus
on the positives – the people that they are tasked to
serve – the residents of Huron and Perth County and
I quote “….. ensure that it is fiscally responsible and
accountable and provides the best possible programmes
for its students “(P2 Directors Action Report item 1:10)
We will all be better for it.
Thank you
Presentation to Huron East/North Perth Accommodation Review Committee meeting,
by the Reverend Cathrine E. Campbell, Nov. 4, 2009
Ethel euchre was held on Monday,
Nov. 2 with eight tables in play.
Winners were: share the wealth,
Joan Jacobs, Mary Craig; high,
Myrna Burnett, Roy McIntosh; lone
hands, Eileen Mann, Edna
McLellan, Neil Hatt and Hank; low,
Mary McIntosh, Allan Edgar.
Tally winners were: Sharon
Freeman, Helen Cullen, Dorothy
Dilworth, AdrianVerstoep, Joan
Jacobs, Marion Harrison, Joyce
Beirnes, Kathleen Whaley, Allan
Martin, Dorothy Martin, Grace
Stewart, Helen Dobson, Keith
Turnbull, Beryl Smith, Mary
Huether, Viola Adams, Rex Whaley
and Hilda Holmes.
The next euchre will be on
Monday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m.
8 tables at Ethel euchre