Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-01-28, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario Deb Phillips, left, Mackenzie Fisher, Fran Hook, president of the Alzheimer Society of Hu in County; Matt Fisher and Jill Dolmage, did their part Saturday in the Walk For Memories, an indoor winter Walk-a-thon for the Alzheimer Society of Huron County Saturday. More than 30 arca walk- ers raised nearly $1.500. • (Fitton photo) Nothing new about talk of closure `Business as usual' says SDHS principal BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff , There is much truth in the old saying that -"the more things change, the more they stay 'the same," the way Bruce Eccles sees it. • All th'e buzz in recent weeks about Seaforth District High School possibly closing is"old hat" to him. • "As far as I'm concerned it's business as usual h re," the principal of SDHS' ays. "I've been listening to this 4. for years." In fact, he says, since he started his teaching career at Seaforth's high school more than two -and -a -half decades ago, in 1971. Nevertheless, this latest talk seems more serious. The director of education for the Mon Maitland District School Board, Paul Carroll of Scaforth, said last week that a study two years ago "showed a surplus of space in excess of 4,300 pupil places for a school pop- ulation of about 10,000" in Huron school. "The- school 'at risk' to the highest degree seems to be SDHS, more so from shrink- ing enrollment than from building -size problems. The current enrollment could fit into an under -populated Central Huron Secondary School" at Clinton, he said last week. The education director added that "the challenge for us here (Avon Maitland board) is to determine at , what point the ability of SDHS to offer an acceptable secondary program is com- promised. "With two more years of enrollment shift to St. Anne's in 1998 and 199, and with_the Ministry of Education's removal of OAC (Grade 13), the population, in worst case could drop to 250-260 stu- dents by 2001. DELIVER THE GOODS? "In its current configura- tion, the school could not deliver the goods, in my opinion," Carroll said. Eccles isn't about to contra- dict his boss. He knows enrollmer which was roughly 340 at the, , start of this school year, 'is shrinking but the SDHS prin- cipal also has his staff and students' morale to think about. He believes the school is worth lobbying for, and more valuable to this community than the sum of its parts, and these sobering facts and fig- ures Eccles worries this latest talk about the school closing will lead students to enroll elsewhere, because they might figure the school won't be around by the time..they graduate in four or five years. "Kids don't like switching schools," he says. The notion that Seaforth high school can't compete when it comes to programs is simply false, he points out. F. A. Madill in Wingham is currently the biggest high school in Huron, hc points out, with more than 1,000 students and about three times the enrollment of Seaforth's. Right now Madill offers about 19 QAC courses. • Seaforth offers roughly 17. New OAC courses initiated at SDHS in recent years include phys ed, drama. and entrepreneurship. NO BACKWATER The problem at our local school is timetabling. With more of a student Kase population to play with, the computer that works these things out these days can come up with far fewer con- flicts for an OAC student studying at Wingham than it can for Seaforth: so student's Continued on Page 3._ Wesley's trust fund still growing BY JACKIE FITTON Expositor Editor Donations to the Wesley Coombs Trust Fund have reached $3,000 and it's still growing, says one of the organizers. Screna Snell one of the three organizers heading up the fund and park project in memory of the toddler said theopen trust fund was set up the middle zrf December and will continue to he open at CIBC Banks in Seaforth, Bayfield, Goderich, Brussels, Clinton Credit Union and Jonnymores Bar in Clinton until sometime in the spring. Money from the fund will go towards purchasing tod- dler play equipment in thc Clan Gregor Square, along with a plaque as a fitting memorial to the "Bayfield youngster who died Nov. 29, 1997. Thc 23 month-old was under the care of a babysitter when hc wandered away from his home and was hit by a van while walking along Highway 21. The group first approached Bayfield Council to obtain permission to establish the playground equipment in the park, but were informed they have to have permission from the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) a com- mittee which didn't sit until Ianuary of this year. After appearing at the January LACAC meeting Snell said eight (LACAC) members were present. She said one member was of the opinion to go ahead with the project. Two were concerned about everything and thc rest were conccrncd about the size of thc plaque. "We went with what they wanted. It's hard to say what they arc going to do," Snell said. It was suggested that maybe the organizers could obtain small brass or tough plastic plaques and mount them directly on the equip- ment. Snell says Willow Lake Design Sign and Graphic owners Pete and Marj Payne of Bayfield will he donating the signs for thc playground if and when the project becomes a reality. Snell, Lori Bagot and Tcri Ladd thc two other organiz- ers arc planning on giving a list of donators without the monetary value of the dona- tion to Wesley's parents. One large donation over Christmas to the fund came in the form of Jonnymores Bar staff donating their Boxing Day wages which totalled close to $300, Snell said. The LACAC will meet on the second Thursday of February and hopefully, vote on the project then. If passed by the members then Snell and other organiz- ers will go back to council for their approval, Snell said. January 28, 1998 — $1.00 includes GST School board to reduce costs an additional $2.4 million BY RICK KEW Advocate Staff In a special meeting called to deal with a multi-million dollar funding shortfall, the Avon Maitland District School Board approved a plan to reduce costs by $2.4 million last Thursday, amidst accusations the director of education was encouraging divisiveness amongst hoard and staff members. Director of education Paul Carroll informed thc hoard, before nearly 70 concerned spectators, that the reported $6.2 million shortage had been revised downward to $4.2 million and that the cuts and an appeal before ministry of education and training officials today (Wednesday) will bring funding into line for the "stub year" - January to August, 1998. Carroll said the projected shortfall was revised down- ward because current figures and new elements such as tuition fee transfers were used in calculations. Thc Huron section of the hoard will transfer $625,00Q in tuition fees to the Perth section to cover costs of stu- dents residing in Huron County who attend Perth County schools. Nevertheless, $2.4 million in all of the cuts will come from Perth County schools. Carroll explained to the hoard that much of the prob- lem stemmed from the for- mer Perth County Board of Education's use of reserve funds and funds from over - levies. Thc former -Perth board used approximately $2 mil- lion in reserve funds to pur- chase computers ($I million) mer Perth County Board and appropriate wiring infra- structure ($I million) and inserted $1.7 million in over - levy funds into the operating budget, said Carroll. He said Perth's budget exceeded ministry guidelines to hold increases to two per cent—Perth increased its budget by 4.3 per cent—and the ministry did not recog- nize the use of reserves and ovcrlevy funds in calculating stub -year funding for the for- mer Perth board. Carroll pointed out that Perth's decision to spend a larger portion of its funds during the first cight months of the school year rather than spending more equitably over the school year also con- tributed to the Perth hoard's shortfall as the provincial for- mula for stub -year funding did not recognize that fact. Alluding to remarks made earlier by former Perth trustee Brenda Schultz, of Milverton, Carroll, who had earlier declined comment- on Schultz's presentation, said, pointedly, "Now I heard the word mismanagement used somewhere recently....and I heard, I think I read the word mismanagement somewhere recently. That is not a word I have used and it is not a word I would use to describe this kind of problem." Schultz, at the top of the. agenda, told the board she was. personally . offended about Carroll's remarks to thc media regarding thc cause of the stub year shortfall. Quoting from a story which ran in the Stratford gem -on Herald she said Carroll used the following'words: "the over spending and misman- agement of funds by the for - Education," openly encourag- ing divisiveness amongst staff and board members. Trustee Wendy Anderson, former chair of the Perth County board, was similarly offended by the director's comments to the media, not- ing that many of the specta- tors were present because they had been alarmed by what she called "inflammato- ry" statements by Carroll. She said the sense of urgency with which the meet- ing was called was unfound- ed because the Perth hoard, upon being informed the ministry of education would exclude use of reserves and overlevics when calculating stub year funding, announced in September a pending shortfall. Underscoring the aware- ness of trustees to Perth's spending decisions she noted that the Local Educational Improvement Committee (LEIC), composed of both Huron and Perth trustees approved at the request of the provincial Educational Improvement Commission (EIC) the use of reserves for the purchase of computers. Chair of the AMDSB, Abby Armstrong, said she understood the frustration of trustees but did not call the meeting to "finger point" but called the meeting to deal with the shortfall. She said she hoped the new funding model slated to he introduced in September would provide additional funding for the amalgamated board. "It has been a trying last couple of days," she admit- ted. eekend fire razes home No lives were lost as fire totally gutted a home just north of Winthrop Saturday night. The cause is still -under investigation by the Seaforth and Arca Fire Department. Fire Chief George Garrick said the investigation should he concluded later this week. The home located on Conc. 10-11 just past Winthrop is owned by Matt Haney. It was rented to Derek and Sheila Diehl and their three children. The family is presently staying with friends. The fire chief said the alarm came in at 10:30 p.m. and the house was totally engulfed as firefighters arrived on the scene. A total of 13 firefighters, one pumper, two tankers and the rescue van responded to the alarm. Walton residents have already come to the aid of the Continued on Page 3. The smoldering aftermath from a house firc Saturday night north of Winthrop. (Fitton photo) YOUR DIRECT LINK TO HOT DEALS www.ettravel.com/hotdeals Last Minute SELL-OFFSI on N Hot Destinetio Caribbean, Vegas, ;. Cruises, Florida r.11:41 f atiY Imo• .r.: JUNE BALL LAURIE RUSSELL KRISTYN DARUNG BONNIE SITTER SARAH DARUNG JUUE CAMPBELL ANNE DARUNG OR — CaII us At 236-2000 1-800-265-7022 CARSON WAGONLIT ELLISON TRAVEL -EXETER