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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-11-04, Page 22 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, NOVEMBER 4, less Trustees under fire at board meeting BY TIM CUMMING Mitchell Advocate Staff While the Avon Maitland - District School Board delayed listing up to 19 Perth • and Huron schools for' closure the board's chair says it's not time to celebrate. "I believe' the board has less money than last year," said Abby Armstrong, to a crowd of more than 500 people at the hoard meeting in Stratford. "The work isn't over, we've only just begun." Schools will close if the provincial funding doesn't change, she suggested.. "I'm not threatening you, ..I'm telling you what will happen.' A new list is expected to he developed for a Dec. 8 hoard meeting taking a comprehensive look at all 60 schools in the system. At the meeting both the chair of the board and Leslie Wood, trustee for West Perth, called for some form of study to continue. "Personally I want to proceed with a thoughtful study of our . school buildings;" Wood said. "Can we afford to keep up all of our 60 school buildings?" At the • previous large meeting of the board speakers took shots- at the provincial government of Mike Harris and the absent provincial representatives. Last Tuesday night. however, MLAs Bert Johnsen (Perth)' and Helen Johns (i--turon) received standing ovations .when they stood up and said the hoard doesn't have td meet a Dec. 31 provincial deadline for listing schools . for closures ' • Johns said the board js receiving millions of dollars in additional money from the province for transportation and -for the increase in retiring teachers. "The Avon Maitland board is not a helpless victim," said Jane Finan, spokesperson for South Perth Centennial School. - After hearing more than 20 - often -critical delegations, trustees began to show some anger over the long. emotional process. "I take great offence to people running down our administrative people," said Vice Chair Ray Ford, in response to repeated calls to cut administrative staff, not schools. Trustee Atje Tuyten asked testily; "Do you honestly think we would go down this road if we didn't have the right bottom line?", to which many in the crowd responded 'Yes.' Trustee Bob Allan said he was impressed with how informed and courteous most people were but also reacted strongly to criticism of administrative staff. He asked the crowd how they would feel being attacked publicly and not being able to , stand up and defend themselves at the meeting. Allan defended the process started by the board. "1 believe the report was timely. proper and appropriate." The trustees' decision not to list schools for closure came after hearing more than two hours of criticism, mostly directed at them. Stephen Public School parent Pat,O'Rourke said closing schools and increased busing lengths would force children to nearby Roman Catholic Schools. "Parents will move their children to the Catholic education system to keep their children from being bused across thc county." O'Rourke said a schools study doesn't need to be done by the Dec. 31 provincial deadline unless the board has to build new schools in the foreseeable future "I don't buy this ridiculous argument that funding for new schools will be denied us forever. The Mayor of West Perth said schools shouldn't be closed because Mitchell and area is growing. "Mitchell is one of the fastest growing areas- in Southwestern Ontario," said John Van Bake!. "Growth will very quickly take any of the excess space in the school.". Mitchell resident Rev. Peter Bush, of the Huron - Perth Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church, said the board should seriously consider community ideas on how to keep schools open. Student performance is better in small schools than large schools, said Bonnie LaFontaine, spokesperson for the School Councils. The board shouldn't worry about whether it has future funds for new schools or additions, said Sheona Baker, another spokesperson for Stephen central School. "We simply can't live for all the maybes this world has to offer." The board has all the time in the world to make a decision on school maintenance, she said, and the board also has to tighten its belt to find more money for schools. One of the speakers Who pointed to the province as a source of the problem was Joan Van den ,'Broeck.• With Bill 160 "the government got direct access to your property tax," she said. The provincial government Ives taken over control of education and now wants to get out of the expensive business of Parents waiting for 'information approach to the issue, preferring to wait to fight until they know for certain whether or not their schools are going to be closed. The board is currently compiling statistical information about each of its 60 schools which Armstrong said it will analyze and then begin seeking input: frpm school councils. While the board is also dealing with moving most of its operation to.Seaforth, Armstrong hopes they, will have the statistical information gathered in a couple weeks. Monday night's release indicates "a mechanism will be established" to enable school councils to ask questions and make suggestions. Murray is waiting to learn how they will be able to participate. "We're going to fight closing every step of the way. We're just waiting for the rules of engagement," said Murray. FROM Page 1 'still waiting for word about how the school advisory councils and public will be involved in the decision- making process' Right now, he said it's the same 'as with the development of the first list; there has been no criteria or standards set out for how a school is slated for closure. Until they have some concrete information, he said they can only argue a closure based on fears. "Right now, we're just chasing shadows," he said. "The reality is, there arc some schools they'd like, to close." he said. Hc has stressed the importance of keeping schdols in rural schools open where they are ab important part of their schools, "1 don't believe the government set out to create " a funding formula that would trcat rural boards unfairly but that's what's happened," she said. Unless the government changes its mind and give hoards turther funding, Armstrong said some schools could have to close once the studying is done. But she said the hoard's decision has given them, school councils and parents a little more time to show thc government the need to keep the schools open in rural communities. "Nothing's impossible," she said, pointing to a decision from the government to give the board more funding to cover the costs ,of special needs programs. Armstrong said other government downloading resulted in more students in the system. requiring educational assistants and the board appealed to the government for help. "Even if we can save one school, the fight's worth it," she said. But she cautions. "All we've done is bought a little •tinic." Seaforth and Walton public schools have been taking a wait-and-see Drivers must stop for emergency vehicles OPP report Drivers must stop for all emergency vehicles. Over the last few months personnel involved in the emergency 'field have advised of difficulties attending to emergency situations. A few times collisions have occurred, people have been seriously injured, and others have had their vehicles forced off the roadway. • The Huron O.P.P. remind, all drivers that this is an offense under the Highway Traffic Act. Section 159 of the HTA states: The driver of a vehicle, upon the approach of an ambulance, fire, police service vehicle or public utility emergency upon which a bell or siren is sounding or which a lamp that produces intermittent flashes of red light, shall immediately bring such vehicle to a stand still; first, as near as is practical, parallel park to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway and clear of any intersection. Secondly, when on a roadway having more than two lanes for traffic and designated for the use of one-way traffic, parallel park as near as is practical to the near4est curb or edge of the roadway and clear of any intersection. Thirdly, no driver shall follow a fire vehicle within 150 metres while that vehicle is rresponding to an alarm. Many lives are and could be at risk if these rules are not followed. including your own. Obey the rules; `pull over to the side and stop and save a person's life. . maintaining schools, she said. "Your trustees are unable to represent your interests ..: they can't respond to local needs." The• reeve of Perth South. :Annabell Thomson. said the government's new funding formula had urban interests in mind. "We will not allow:rural school hoards to be pressured by a funding formula put in place by bureaucrats in large urban-ce.ntres." Another critic of the - province was prominent Liberal Jack Riddell. "The government controls 100 per cent of the educational funding yet- the board will get thc blame for closing schools. (if the funds aren't there)," he said. There are many unanswered questions in the entire process. 'according to Riddell. How had its the hoard's excess capacity problem? "We're not convinced the excess capacity we have is'as big a detriment as you would have us believe," said Agnes Denham; spokesperson' for the - Perth and Huron Federations of Agriculture. -_She urged the hoard to take more time before making any decision. "Most businesses would take a ycar or two .for this kind of study." Perth MLA Bert Johnson said after the meeting that he wants to get al( thc •facts from the government before pressing for more .moncy for the hoard. "I want to make sure ani information 1 have is, accurate." he said. "If (funding) is insufficient I consider it my responsibility to make-it,equitahle." Johnson said programs like the small schools grant. and new transportation funding hclp,rural hoards. "I'm not saying thcY'rc adequate ..: hut they arc there." he said. • Anew trustee for the Town of North Perth, Donald Brillingcr. was sworn into assume his ditties at the Oct. 27 board meeting. 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