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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-06-28, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2007. The successes of the Huron-Perth District School Board, when it comes to literacy, are being trumpeted by Ontario’s education administrators. On June 13, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), which administers provincially- standardized tests in Grades 3, 6, 9 and 10, sent out a news release highlighting the Grade 10 literacy results from St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Stratford. Meanwhile, through its involvement in an exclusive group of administrators chaired by the Education Ministry’s Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, the board will host a group of visitors from a Northern Ontario school board that’s hoping to boost its literacy results. The St. Michael news release came in the wake of last week’s announcement of results from the annual Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). On this year’s OSSLT, first-time writers in the Huron-Perth board achieved the highest level of success among all Ontario school boards. Ninety-one per cent of the board’s students passed the test, compared to a provincial average success rate of 84 per cent. The EQAO release explains St. Michael is one of 12 schools chosen to be profiled in a report about the 2006-07 OSSLT results. “In the report, staff . . . discuss what the results of the EQAO’s testing and other data have taught them about their students, and the innovative approaches staff are using to address their students’ needs.” In particular, St. Michael’s approach to students with special needs is highlighted in the report. According to Huron-Perth education superintendent Dan Parr, the board as a whole does exceptionally well when it comes to making it possible for these students to actually take and subsequently achieve on the literacy test. “In the St. Michael approach, students in the school with special needs must have access to all accommodations to which they’re entitled under their IEPs (Individual Education Plans),” Parr told trustees at a regular meeting Monday, June 18. “We see here that there’s evidence it has really paid off.” At the same meeting, education director Larry Langan updated trustees about a new partnership with the Northeastern Catholic District School Board. This came about as a result of Langan’s participation in a small group of administrators – from boards which have achieved success in literacy – brought together by the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat. According to Langan, a proposal was sent to the Secretariat and approval was granted for about $35,000 to be allocated to the partnership. It’s expected top administrators and about six principals from the Timmins-area board will visit the Huron-Perth board, and then a similarly-sized group will return north. Province trumpets success of HPDSB literacy results Excellent job Brussels Legion president Jo-Ann McDonald accepts a collection of pop tabs from the classes of Brussels Public School. The effort was spearheaded by Derrick and Tim Waechter. Over 300 lbs of tabs were brought in. The pop tabs go to Elora Legion Branch which sells them to a company in Guelph. The money over the years has enabled them to purchase over 700 wheelchairs to this point. These are available to those in need and application forms can soon be obtained at the Brussels Legion. With McDonald are, back row, from left: Tim Waechter, Derrick Waechter and Daniel Fritz. Front: Samantha Thyssen and Jenna Thompson. (Bonnie Gropp photo) The education director for the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board pledged to “spend a lot of time, in a tenacious way, going after grants” as trustees approved a $46.5 million budget at a regular meeting Monday, June 18. “We have delivered a balanced budget to this board but, to get that, we had to use two significant strategies,” said top administrator Larry Langan. “A: we had to go to our reserves; and B: we had to staff our schools extremely tightly.” He added that, although the bulk of Education Ministry funding continues to be allocated in keeping with a per-pupil formula first introduced in 1998, significant funds are now flowed on an initiative-by- initiative basis. “Where other boards might decide they need to cut back on some of these programs to balance their budgets, we’re going to find the money in innovative ways outside the regular grants,” Langan told trustees. Business superintendent Gerry Thuss prefaced his 2007-08 budget presentation by outlining a projected three per cent drop in enrolment for next year. That trend has been ongoing in elementary schools since 2002, and secondary schools since 2005. “The effect of that is that we have to continue to look at our expenditures; continue to look at the effects of declining enrolment,” Thuss said. Comparing the 2007-08 document to the current year’s $49.5 million budget, Thuss noted one major change will be the amount spent on capital projects. Instead of the “New Pupil Places” portion of the provincial grant being spent on actually constructing classrooms, it will be used mainly to pay down debt on those completed over thepast few years.“This year, for the first time in anumber of years, we don’t have anything major that we’re working on,” he said. Recently completed or almost complete projects include new elementary schools in Listowel and Clinton, as well as additions at elementary schools in Goderich, Wingham and Stratford and a major addition to St. Michael secondary school in Stratford. The business superintendent also said care was taken to ensure adequate services for students with special needs, even though it meant spending more than what’s allocated by the province. “Martha (Dutrizac, education superintendent) has gone school-to- school, staffing-level-to-staffing- level, just to make sure we are serving all the students with the appropriate supports,” Thuss said. But the most significant element, from the standpoint of looking towards the future, was the drawing down of the board’s working fund reserve to the tune of $309,000. “This is only available for the short term but not sustainable for the long term,” stated Thuss’s written report to the board. Asked by finance committee chair Bernard Murray where the board might look for cuts in the future, Langan suggested further belt- tightening at central administration might be possible. But the education director added he hopes next year’s round of labour negotiations – expected to be conducted between the Education Ministry and provincial teachers’ union representatives – will yield increased flexibility for school boards. “Our attritions and our retirements aren’t keeping pace with our declining enrolment. And that’swhere the money is: it’s in staffing,”he commented.The board is also hoping for a positive outcome from the Education Ministry’s ongoing examination of transportation “consortia.” That’s the word given to what are supposed to become formalized arrangements between public and Catholic boards serving the same areas. Both the Huron-Perth and Avon Maitland District School Boards have long maintained they’re already applying as many co- operative transportation measures as possible, and both hope those get turned into cash once the province completes its examination. HPCDSB director pledgesto tenaciously chase grants Happy 25th Anniversary Mom & Dad (Paul and Cheryl Ryan) June 26 Love Curt and Matt Forthcoming Marriage Celebration Kurt Lentz and Samantha Gullett are pleased to announce the forthcoming celebration of their marriage on Saturday, July 7, 2007 at 188 Westmoreland Street, Blyth. Kurt is the son of Duncan and Lynda McGregor, Blyth and Karl and Anne Lentz of Brantford. Samantha is the daughter of Jim and Kim Gullett, Fort Mill, South Carolina BARBEQUE for KIMBERLY REININK & ANDREW KABBES Friday, July 6 Supper starts 6:00 pm at Drayton Reformed Church $10/person $50/family Games and auction too! Call 519-523-4806 for tickets. The Brubachers of Ethel Restaurant & Bakery Real Home Cooking Try our Cinnamon Buns 519-887-8659 Mon. - Fri. 7-6:30; Sat. 8-6:30, Sunday Closed By Stew SlaterSpecial to The Citizen By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen Slip! on clothing Slop! on sunscreen SPF 15 or higher Slap! on a hat For more information call the Canadian Cancer Society at 1 888 939-3333 or take our SunSense quiz at www.cancer.ca.