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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1996-02-07, Page 1Starting page 11 See page 23 61e 4 4cGST650 Wednesday, Feb. 7, 1996 Vol. 12 No. 6 David Schlumpf, a Grade 2 student at Grey Central Public School, listens attentively while Public Health Nurse Connie Kuc explains to him the reason for the needle he is about to receive and what to expect. A mass innoculation of Huron County students, both elementary and secondary, is happening throughout the next few weeks with the goal of eradicating measles. County cuts road rebates Feature Information for 1996 bridal couple in special section See inside Government County to get twin studies on landfill alternatives See page 6 Sports Blyth PeeWee Reps tournament's A champs Farm Huron's farm leaders to present agriculture's impact Education budget The North Huron HCBE director gives the facts itizen By Janice Becker As the provincial government position on education funding con- tinues to be clarified, it is impera- tive that all parties involved understand what is expected. So said Huron County Board of Education Director of Education Paul Carroll in an address to the board Feb. 5. The first consideration in budget talks is the fact that between $3 and $3.7 million in cash will be coming straight off the top. The government's much-talked about "tool box" which is to outline ways of cutting costs, will not auto- matically reduce expenditures by the required amount, says Carroll. It will provide a framework for the board and employee groups within which negotiations for cost reduction can occur. The difference between this and the Social Contract is that change must be in place by September, he says. The third concern expressed by Carroll is that if local action towards a collaborative agreement is not taken, provincial initiatives will lead to one-sided, unilateral action, if year-end deficits are to be avoided. In his personal opinion, Carroll considers a labour dispute a possi- bility if an agreement is not reached locally. "Re-structuring and downsizing By Janice Becker The decision has been made. Junior kindergarten in the public school system will continue in Huron County, for now. After awaiting word from the provincial government regarding funding cuts to the program, the Huron County Board of Education voted to maintain junior kinder- garten for the 1996-97 school year. The motion, tabled from the Jan. 15 meeting, came to the board at the Feb. 5 meeting when the Edu- cation Committee made a recom- mendation to continue the program at no cost to the local taxpayer. With restructuring, the board determined it could offer the pro- gram at no cost or possibly a small surplus, considering provincial cuts. Norm Pickell, trustee for Goderich, who stated he had been strongly against the program when discussion started years ago, now is in favour of continuing the program with no local cost, but said it would be difficult for trustees to pass such a motion because of the different fiscal years of the board and the provincial government. "We might be able to ensure there is no cost for September of 1996," say Pickell, "but if more must occur in the public school sys- tem." Surplus staff in this board will range from a superintendent to classroom teachers and part-time bus drivers by June, says Carroll, due to the cumulative effect of cost reduction. In an effort to protect current staff, Carroll wants action now to address the surplus. "Though the '85 factor for retire- ment is desired by some teachers, there is conflicting information as to whether the teachers' federation supports such a position in current provincial negoiations." In estimating Huron's share of cost reductions, an outline of areas for cuts was reviewed with trustees. By reducing teacher prep time, for a savings of $1,675,000 annual- ly along with a 10 per cent decrease in administration costs at all levels which could total savings of more than $472,000 plus $382,602 in cut transportation costs over three years and $221,730 in a 10 per cent drop in cleaning costs, would result in approximately $2,750,000. These reductions are an estimate of the annualized equivalent of 50 positiorts with the board. Further, grant reductions occur up front, says Carroll. "It will take guts to proceed with changes nessessary, in a fashion which will minimize the impact on children." cuts come down in January 1997, how can we say there will be no cost." "We have no information that funding would change in 1997, says Director of Education Paul Carroll, "but I also believe continu- ing junior kindergarten for the next year will not put the board at finan- cial risk." Carroll also stated that in his opinion, it would be better to con- tinue the program now and look at it again in the future. Other factors taken into consider- ation included the impact on enroll- ment in the Huron system if junior kindergarten was cancelled while neighbouring boards maintained the program as well as a further 5.5 surplus teaching positions on top of the 50 surplus positions already estimated, if proposed legislation proceeds, for September 96. Receiving support from other trustees regarding a future review, the motion was passed to continue junior kindergarten for the coming year and review it for September 1997 based on the Ecker Commit- tee, which is now studying early childhood education programs, the financial situation and any other relevant information available at the time. Taxpayers in Huron County's towns and villages will get hit by a cut in the county's road rebate sys- tem, but just how big the cut will be hasn't been decided yet. County councillors at their Feb. 1 meeting decided to discontinue a rebate of at least 25 per cent of the county leavy for highways but the entire rebate of the levy could be wiped out. Because they generally do not have much of the county highway system within their boundaries, urban municipalities have tradition- ally received a rebate on the taxes collected within their boundaries for highways department purposes. It has been a source of tension at county council before when cuts were proposed and urban munici- palities resisted. Some years ago the rebate was reduced from 50 per cent to 40 per cent. But under the provincial government's Bill 26, the requirement of counties to rebate a minimum of 25 per cent (and a maximum of 50 per cent) to urban municipalities, is abolished. It means that though provincial fund- ing cuts to the county road system are $948,987, the effect could be only $562,987 to the county budget by cutting $386,000 from the rebates to the 10 towns and vil- lages. In fact the preliminary 1996 budget drawn up by former county engineer Denis Merrall, before he left for his new position in Middle- sex County, had already anticipated wiping out the road rebate entirely. But Exeter Reeve Bill Mickle argued that by reducing the urban road rebates the effects of the gov- ernment cuts would be dispropor- tionately high on the towns and villages. Already the cuts to his town from the province were $126,656, he said and the county cuts would be a further $58,000, meaning a total of $184,000. If the county had received a cut in pro- portion to what the town is getting it's cut would have been twice as large as it has been, he said. Although Bill 26 allows for cuts in the road rebates it doesn't force it, Mickle argued. He asked coun- cillors to share the pain of the cut by not cutting the 40 per cent road rebate. He got some support from at Continued on page 29- JK stays in Huron