HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-07-01, Page 39Page A38 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Able
•
Entertainment Deadlines: Friday @ 2 p.m.
School board balances budget despite increase in costs
Stew Slater
special to the signal -star
Born 28 June, 1949, in Goderich.
Annette moved to Victoria, B.C.,
where she has raised two beautiful
daughters.
Best wishes on your special day
Mom, from Kyla, Shelagh and
fiance Ron
7
(gec--.•
Staff of the Avon Maitland District
School Board will be called upon to lim-
it the costs incurred by their employee
benefits package. That's because, for
the coming year, premiums for extended
health coverage and dental coverage have
increased by a total of approximately $1
million.
Drawing on almost $900,000 in reserve
funds, trustees passed a balanced budget
totaling just over $177 million for the
2009-10 school year, at a regular meet-
ing Tuesday, June 23. Finance Commit-
tee chair Randy Wagler cited the benefits
package increase as a major factor in the
reserve fund draw -down, but said efforts
to "inform our staff to make sure those
claims continue to be in line and reason-
able" are part of a wider strategy to ensure
it doesn't turn into "a structural deficit."
Another major increase in expenditures
{
056•annit 84u
graduated from
Practical Nursing
June 13/09 at
Lambton College
Congratulations
& Well Done
Proudly,
Dad &yFamily
AAka
SPint
o(
Giving
over the current year is for teacher re-
muneration. For the most part, however,
that's covered by increased Education
Ministry funding that was provided after
unions and school hoards reached new,
four-year collective agreements.
"The budget was balanced without sac-
rificing existing funded programs, includ-
ing maintaining school budgets without
a decrease for declining enrolment, and
have indeed managed to enhance in a cou-
ple of places," states a report delivered by
Wagler to fellow trustees.
Improvements include a literacy sup-
port teacher, who will assist other teachers
Mary Frances Elizabeth Frayne
graduated with Honours from the
University of Guelph on June 9, 2009.
She completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts
Degree, English major. Mary Frances is the
daughter of Paul & Anita Frayne.
WWW,
goderichsignalstar
,com
adjust to the needs of struggling students.
And trustee Tina Traschel, who serves on
Avon Maitland's Special Education Advi-
sory Committee, reported the board con-
tinued with its practice of spending more
on Special Education than it receives from
the government for this purpose.
In an interview after the meeting, busi-
ness superintendent Janet Baird -Jackson
addressed the increase in benefits premi-
ums.
"We think this is just a one -year -in -five
cyclical blip," she said, adding employees
will be open to ideas for limiting claims
because they also pay into the plan.
r
Leeanna Bell
graduated from Conestoga
College on June 10, 2009
in Photography.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Love Mark, Felix, Carl,
Teresa, Kris and Julia.
f)
Lao
Hannah Luke
graduated on June 5th. 2009
from Wilfrid Laurier University with
an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree
in English and Communications.
Hannah plans on teaching FSI, in
Korea in September.
Congratulations Hannah
and Love from
Mom (September Koskela), sister Clara
and brother Ike, Goderich, Dad (Peter
Luke) Stratford and Grandma and Grandpa
(Mary and Arno Koskela), Sunset Reach,
(;odench
Bruce Hulley of Goderich was inducted
into the Hall of Fame for Professional Truck
Drivers on June 19, 2009. He received his
award from the Private Motor Truck Council
of Canada at their annual conference held at
Queen's Landing, Niagara -On -The -Lake.