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The Rural Voice, 2000-03, Page 52PERTH Andy DeVries, R.R. #1, Atwood NOG 1E30 Phone/Fax 519-356-2133 PCFA Office 229-6430 Fax 229-6269 e-mail: perth@ofa.on.ca County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER •The Rural Voice is provided to farmers in Perth County by the PCFA. Joint Rural Education Committee formed This joint committee met with the Avon Maitland School Board and their parent council committee. Both groups agreed that a Rural Education Strategy needs to be implemented by the Ontario Ministry of Education that address the following points: I. That an adequate funding formula be developed for Rural School Boards. A Rural Funding Formula needs to keep the following points in mind: • large geographic Boards in rural areas are at a disadvantage under the current formula because we do not have the population densities. • small school size should not be discriminated against from a funding aspect and the value of education. If all elementary schools in the province under 350 students were to be closed this would result in the loss of 53 per cent of Ontario's elementary schools. • provincial funding must reflect the fact that if portions of schools are closed then this space be removed from the formulas to determine accommodation levels. 2. Accommodation reviews need to be based on smaller review areas within a school board district and that only the enrolment levels of schools within a given review area be used to-, determine whether the board needs new pupil spaces in that area. 3. Government policies and funding mechanisms need to be in place which ensure that school closures are examined in the context of their potential implications for the students and the entire community, prior to decision making. We have a concern that the full economic impact of closing a particular school may be much more detrimental to the economy of a given area, and in turn the province, than any savings to the education budget. Rural schools act Environmental Farm Plan progress report Perth County's Environmental Review Committee is progressing in getting through the many books that have been turned. If you have a book that you started years ago we encourage you to call Mary 339-6232 to talk about finishing that and being eligible for work you have completed on the action plan. If you have finished the book and NOT applied for any incentive call PERTH COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE MARCH DIRECTORS MEETING Thursday, March 23, 2000 Downie Mutual Fire Insurance Office Sebringville 8:00 p.m. ALL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND 50 THE RURAL VOICE Mary if you would like a form. If you have applied for part of the incentive and wish another form to apply for the rest ... call. In this day where we are all reading so much about the Environmental Concerns for all of our farms it is an ideal time to be proactive and take the course and learn more about your operation. In my mind it is a snapshot view of your farm looking at the concerns of ground and surface water. An excellent education tool. The program and the funding for the incentive has been extended another two years but the exact details have not been released to date. It is important that we use it. This program is supported by your local Perth County Federation of Agriculture and endorsed by your local commodity groups. It is time to stop talking about it and just do it! Make this your own personal Millennium Project. Call Mary at 393-6232.0 as the social infrastructure for the area, and need to be preserved as the delivery model for other services. The funding formula must allow for this. 4. Special education funding needs to be increased to cover the non- educational costs of providing this service which would have traditionally been covered by the Ministry of Health. 5. A funding formula that enables Boards to cap the time at 45 minutes for busing children to and from school. 6. All school funding come directly from the government, not through local municipalities. This has created extra interest costs to the Boards as they wait for municipal assessment dollars, which are difficult to verify as wel1.0 PCFA meets with politicians Members of the Perth County Federation of Agriculture have recently met with both MPP Bert Johnson, and MP John Richardson to push each level of government on a number of issues. Three topics dominated discussion with MPP Bert Johnson: rural education funding, safety net programs, and cuts to OMAFRA. The Federation is urging their provincial representative to voice the Federation's concern about the need for a comprehensive Rural Education Strategy. The latest round of cuts, and changes to the local OMAFRA office and its related services was also discussed. It's a further example of the erosion of services to rural Ontario. Mr. Johnson was reminded that there is an Ontario outside the Greater Toronto area. The current provincial and federal programs set up to deal with the current income crisis in agriculture were also discussed with both representatives. Support to create a level playing field with our international trade partners is needed from both levels of government. Farmers in this province can no longer compete with farmers in other political jurisdictions whose govemments look to their support programs as an investment in their economy, and not as a financial handout with no return.