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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1998-01-21, Page 100% Financing 12 equal payments over one year or No payments until October '98* Convenient billing options* MONTGOMERY'S COMFORT CENTRE LTD. Hwy. #4 South, Wingham 519-357-4300 Port Elgin - 519-832-2026 Terms and Conditions " Deferred payments available to Union Gas residential customers on approved credit financed through Union Gas and Participating Member Union Gas Fireplace Dealers. All other offers not applicable. Offer valid from Jan. 19 to Mar. 7, '98. There are no set-up fees or early payment penalties for financing. © Union Gas Limited 1998. 'D' uiiongas energy for you Natural gas furnaces Complete Adu. IIII Convert To Natural Gas NOW We Make It Easy With PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1998. Funding model could result in school closures says Carroll By John Greig Advance-Times Staff The face of public education in the Wingham area could be dramatically changed in several years. The Avon Maitland District School board has 4,000 extra student spaces in Huron County alone that could lead to the closing of East Wawanosh or Turnberry schools. Director of Education Paul Carroll said the board may have to look at the drastic action when it finds out how the new funding model from the province is going to work. Buildings and maintenance could be funded at a per pupil level, instead of by a block grant. That would mean extra rooms at schools wouldn't be paid for by grants. The board would have to make up the rest from other revenue sources. Carroll said it would be a shame to spend money on buildings which aren't full, instead of teaching in the classrooms. He said the Avon Maitland board already has the largest elementary school classes in the province. The potential plan for the Wingham area is not new and has been discussed by the old Huron board before, says Carroll. It would involve either Turnberry or East Wawanosh schools changing or closing and perhaps Grade 7 and 8 students attending a junior high school at F. E. Madill Secondary School. Wingham Public School would be involved as well. There will be extra room at the high school in the future as the fifth year, or Ontario Academic Credit levels is being eliminated. "It's complex, controversial and very political," said Carroll. "It needs to be talked about and there's no need to do it behind closed doors," he said. There are several scenarios across the Avon Maitland board. Those could include closing board offices in Stratford and Clinton and moving an office to Seaforth. The Seaforth high school could they, be moved to the empty space at Central Huron in Clinton. There are less than 300 students at the Seaforth school. In contrast, there are presently, 1,100 students at F. E. Madill Secondary School. According to Ministry of Education guidelines, there is room for 1,400 students at the school. Principal Wayne Tessier said the enrolment is expected to decline in the next few years as well. By Michele Green Special To The Citizen The new Avon-Maitland District School board got down to business at its first regular meeting last Tuesday, Jan. 12 at the headquarters of the former Perth County Board of Education in Stratford. The amalgamation of the former Perth board and the Huron County board of Education brings nine trustees from the two counties, 10 The students who start high school in 1999 will be the first to not need an OAC year before university. This year there are 73 OAC students at the school. Tessier said he has thought about the issue and believes bringing Grade 7s and 8s into the high school could work. The Grade 7s and 8s could form "a school within a school". They student trustees and administration together in the board room of the former Perth board in Stratford. The board will alternate its meetings between Stratford and Clinton, the headquarters of the former Huron board until a permanent site is chosen. Chairperson Abby Armstrong told trustees that they have a huge task in front of them to define who they are and where they are going. "Already, I can see a melding of a new board. I'm prepared to focus would be separate from the rest of the school population, but would have the benefits of the high school facilities, said Tessier. That would include better gymnasium and laboratory facilities. They would also benefit from the expanded teaching resources and specialized programming available at a high school. on the task at hand and not the negatives," she said. Chairperson Armstrong also turned her focus to the students, whose education is in the hands of these trustees. "One thing is clear, if, they can't think, communicate or reason, they are lost. If they can, they can unlock the mysteries of the world. I believe the opportunity to become educated is the greatest gift we can give a child," she said. Chair says students focus of new board Board debates loaning of computers to trustees By Michele Green Special To The Citizen Computers should be in classrooms, not trustees' homes, according to some trustees of the Avon-Maitland District School Board. At its meeting last Tuesday in Stratford, the board debated the issue of lending computers and intemet connections to trustees who don't have them. Out of nine trustees, three do not have computers in their homes. Chairperson Abby Armstrong said trustees must be able to communicate quickly via e-mail. She said trustees will lose time at meetings if they have to bring each other up to date or try reaching one another on the telephone. "The cost of computers that provide communication is a small item," she said. Trustee Atje Tuyten said the computers would not be available to students. "While there are children in classrooms who need computers, I won't have one in my home," said Vice-Chairperson Ray Ford. Trustee Philip Baumgarten said By Michele Green Special To The Citizen The Avon-Maitland District School board took the first step in choosing a headquarters by establishing an ad hoc committee to investigate possible sites. The City of Stratford is urging it to locate it in the Festival City. At the new board's first regular meeting, held in Stratford Tuesday, Jan. 13, trustees nominated Trustees Leslie Wood and Colleen Schenk to the committee. Stratford Councillor Dan Mathieson and Larry Appel, the city's economic development officer were also at the meeting and outlined reasons why the new school board should choose the building of the former Perth County Board of Education in Stratford as its headquarters. the intemet connection would help him serve his constituents as well as communicate with the board members. Paul Carroll, director of education, said he depends on the intemet to receive information that would be important for trustees to have. For example, the majority of the information from the Ministry of Education and Training is sent using e-mail or downloaded from the government's web page. Also, he pointed the potential cost savings in paper, postage and courier. Trustee Leslie Wood said not providing computers would restrict eligible candidates for the position of trustee to people who have computers. She suggested offering to trustees a reduced price for computer purchases. John Patterson, associate director of education, said the board has an employee purchase program for computers. He said trustees could take part in it, receiving the same price as other employees and paying for it through payroll deductions from their honorariums. No decision was made on the issue. "Over the years, the city has taken pride that the Perth County Board of Education was here, in this beautiful building," said Continued on page 19 Team plays Friday Continued from page 9 passing and controlling the puck. The defense worked to keep the puck away from the goaltenders Kyle Gibson and Andrew McDonald. The team meets Hensall on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. in Brussels, Mitchell on Saturday night in Brussels at 7 p.m. and travels to Mitchell on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. to play against their AE team. Playoffs will start after this weekend play is completed. The Novice Rep team will meet Howick in the first round of the playoffs. Stratford wants board office