The Huron Expositor, 1998-10-14, Page 22 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, OCTOBER 14, 19198
Board says no one wants to close schools
FROM Page 1
says Lome Rachlis, Director
of. Education, in his report to
the board.
- The plan to list schools -for
possible closure was not
something anybody wanted to
do, Rachlis said.
"No staff would advise
school closures if there were
not strong motivations."
Not listing schools for
consideration carries financial
penalties, he said. Also, most
of the board's schools are
more than 20 -years -old and
expensive to maintain.
"No one has a taste for
closing schools," said Janet
Baird -Jackson, Superintendent
of Corporate Operations. The
board is in a tenuous financial
position. however. "We're
being asked to look,after 60
buildings with $2 million
where we worked with $4.6
million in the past." .
Listing schools for closure
doesn't mean the.y will all
necessarily be closed, she
said.
To list or not to list, that was
the question which split the
Avon Maitland District School
Board practically down the
middle.
Trustee Bob Allan,
representing Huron Area 4
South, called the access to
new pupil spaces a
fundamental right which will
not he given toy Perth and
Huron' Counties if the board
doesn't meet the, province's
Dec. 31 deadline. If the board•
doesn't list schools to be
closed it threatens to make
Avon Maitland ratepayers
"second-class citizens for this
year and years and .years to
come," unequal in the eyes of
the province. "If we don't
comply we have lost our right
to capital funding for the
forsceahle future." In a
surprising decision after his
comments he voted to table
the motion. He said the ball
was now in the court of
parents and ratepayers to
pressure the province. "If you
don't do that you'll have let
me down."
Thc hoard's chai,rperson,
'however, said the school
hoard can't talk to the
province -without facts to back
it up. The decision to list
schools for possible closure or,
conversion is a necessary first
step to conduct studies.
"That's the only way we can
fight them, is with the facts;"
said Abby Armstrong. "We
can_'t fight them with
emotions."
'Armstrong said she
supports Option C (which lists
28 schools for closure or
conversion -including
closing Mitchell public and
the conversion of MDHS and
Upper Thames) not because
she wahts to close schools but
• because she -wants to begin the
studies.
Another trustee opposed the
listing of • schools. "The
electors of. the City of
Stratford did not send me here
to bring about an end to
neighbourhood schools." said
Trustee Ray Ford. who asked
the province to give more
money • to rural areas and ''roll
the dough out a little more
evenly." .
Trustee Leslie Wood. who is
responsible for West Perth.
Petth South and St. Marys,
was yisihly emotional when
she went against the crowd .to
support Option C. She said it's
her 'responsibility to taxpayers
to - meet the provincial
provincial
deadline and to list schools for
possible closure •or
conversion.
"1 see it as a starting point' to
prove our case," she said.
"Accepting - this
recommendation doesn't
mean those schools are going
to be closed."
Excess capacity is a
problem that previous boards
should have addressed and
didn't, she said. '
Trustee Wendy. Anderson
appeared to make her decision
to defer the issue at the last
possible minute. Like Allan,
she said she was taking a leap
of faith with the audience and
needed their support.
"We have a very serious
problem."
The board shouldn't make a
dccision if it doesn't have all
thc facts, said Bonnie
LaFontaine, chairperson of thc
Board -School Council Liaison
Committee.
"Would you subject your
children to longer bus rides in
potentially hazardous
'conditions?" she asked. "We
arc not saying leave our
school alone and close
someone else's school."
The board has the decision
to make, not the province, she
said.
"It's not the government
that will close our schools, it
will be the trustees."
Closing schools will lead to
added busing costs and a
safety risk to four -year-olds on
long bus rides, said Connie
Bedford. She also spoke
against putting Grade 7s and
8s in high schools.
"This group is a prime
target for drugs and alcohol,"
she said.
On one hand, the Ontario
government is giving new
money for a rural youth
program to keep young people
-in rural communities. On the
other hand,it's taking away the
schools to -educate those
young people, said Agnes
Denham, -representative of the
Perth County Federation of
Agriculture. "Will they want
to remain if the schools aren't
there to support their
fainilies?", she asked. "We're
being discriminated against
because of where we live."
The speaker used an
agricultural model and said
it's impossible to meet third
party square footage
requirements without a
reduction in performance. The
current funding model doesn't
recognize rural density, sire
said.
The president of the Huron
•- County Federation of
Agriculture, Henry Booth,
stressed the importance of
agriculture to rural
communities, reiterating that
Huron County produces more
agricultural output than 'some
maritime provinces.
"How can our small
communities grow' if their are
no schools to send our
children?", he asked.
The spokesperson for
Stephen Central Public
School: Sheona Baker. said
parents had switched from
"disbelief to denial to anger
but not yet to acceptance" in.
regards to the listing of their
school for possible closure
More than 800 people
packed an Avon -Maitland
District School Board
meeting last Tuesday night
in efforts to convince the
board not to close any area
schools. (right) Seaforth
mayor, Dave Scott warns
school board members that
closing schools destroys
communities.
CUMMINGS PHOTOS
under the deferred Option C.
A spokesperson for Seaforth
District High School said
parents have been fighting the
hoard ever since the high
school was considered for
closure about half a year ago.
"We won't let you take our
hospitals: we won't let you
take our post office and we
sure as hell won't let you take
our schools," said Maureen
Agar.
It's time for thc hoard and
province finger -pointing ti)
end, said David Scott. Mayor
of Seaforth. and the time for
action to begin. . •
"This hoard needs to take a
stronger stance." he said.
"This hoard needs to take a
stand or it's going to he
ploughed under like a had
crop."
Closing schools not only
disrupts students but it also
destroys communities with
long and rich histories. Scott
said. •
The Seaforth Mayor
compared arguments in favour,
of rural schools with Toronto's
concerns that closing inner-
city schools could hurt the
downtown communities. It's
time for everyone to work
together against provincial
education policy, he said. •
"Even the city of Toronto
doesn't believe we have
strength alone."
The school hoard has
argued that if schools aren't
closed it will he ineligible for
future grants for additions or
new buildings.
A South Perth Centennial
'School parent speaking as a
delegation fast Tuesday said
the important thing is to
protect current schools, not
build in the future.
"What's more important,
keeping our schools open rl'ow
or projects for the new
milennium?". asked Heather
Benner. .
There were six police
officers at the Oct. 6 meeting
of the hoard but the Iargc
crowd in Northwestern
gymnasium was relatively
civil. Although there, were
occasional Koos. cheers and
standing ovations. the crowd
mostly let trustees and
speakers speak without
interruption. Most delegations
to the meeting kept their
remarks to the five minutes
they were allotted.
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