Huron Expositor, 1999-11-24, Page 16Community ready to fight
Leaders rally only an hour after school board
names all Seaforth area schools on closure list
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
• Seaforth Mayor Dave Scott and local school council chairs
are reeling after Monday's release of all, three Seaforth-area
schools being named for potential closure in June by the Avon
Maitland District School Board.
"They're trying to decimate Seaforth. that's what they're
-doing." says Seaforth District. High School -council chair
Maureen Agar. •
"Seaforth is a booming little town and the fight has just
begun," she says.
Agar. Scott and several other community members mel
around a kitchen table. Monday morning. only an hour after
the information was released. to -react to the news and plan a
course of action to fight. the proposed closures of Seaforth
District High School and Seaforth Public 'School. •
Other schools.named For possible closure include Walton
Puhlic School, Vanastra Community School and McCurdy
Public School in Huron County and Falstaff Public School
and -Downie Central Public School in Perth County.
A community meeting is already planned for Wednesday,
Dec:4 at •7:30 p.m. to rally public support for Seaforth
schools. The location has not yet been determined. •
"We want community members. business owners. parents
and grandparents to come out." says Agar.. •
• Scott says he's concerned about the "reverberating effects"
of the closure of Seaforth schools. particularly the high
school. which he says is."crucial for the future of the
comrnunity."
He says that if SDHS closes. the new muncipality that is in
the process of beim formed by the amalgamation of Seaforth.
Mayor Dove
Scott
Brussels andthe Townships of Tuckersmith.
McKillop and Grey will be the only
amalgamated municipality in Huron County
without a high school..
"('losing the high school will have a
•compounding •negative effect on the
community. it will he the first thing in a
series to go 'if it goes. Industry, merchants,
the hospital - everything could go if the
high school closes." says Scott. . .
He makes the argument that with'
plans that arnalgm.ationplans that include
Seaforth joining with Tuckersmith Township and Brussels,
school boundaries should he changed to bring public school
students from Egmondville and Harpurhey to Seaforth Public
and to bring high school students•in Brussels from Wingham
to Seaforth. -
"It's ridiculous that students in Harpurhey, who have a
closer walk to Seaforth Puhlic School than many students in
town do, are bussed to Huron Centennial.- That's something
they (tire board) should have looked at -a long time ago." he'
17 5e.‘AV•J-A-..TC a*q.imr,
See PARENT, Page 2
November 24,1999
$1
(includes GST)
Local weather
Wednesday --Showers, chance
of thunderstorms in morning.
Rain returning in afternoon..
Mild. Low 9.
4.7 Thursday --Sunny. High 8. low.
3.
Friday --Sunny. High 9. Low 3.
Saturday -cloudy With scattered
showers. High. 10. low. 2
From Environment Canada
In brief
Parade
is on Friday
While parade entries
continue to come until
literally the start of the
Lions Club Santa Claus
Parade, organizers are
ready to go for the annual
event.
"Every year it seems to
grow with more people,"
said Lions Club member
Mike Hodgins of the
growing crowds that line
Main Street for the
parade. ,
The parade has
attracted people from
across the province and
will feature some regular
favourites from the
Seaforth All -Girls
Marching Band to last
year's best -lit float in the
form of a "train" from
Parkhill.
Hodginssaid there are
a .number of entries
coming from other
communities this year
including surrounding
towns and villages like
Hensall, Mitchell.
Clinton and Brucefield.
There are a number of
horse entries this year
and about five majorette
groups and•bands.
"I think it'll be a. good
parade," he said of -the
entries that have been
made so far.
Hodgins said it's
always difficult to say
how many entries there
are each year because a
number of people just
arrive at the parade.
"We don't turn anyone
away," said Hodgins,
although he hopes people
See PARADE, Pape t
Ted Johns uses
theatre to lok
at education...
Pops;
Students
prepare for
Aladdin...
Page.
Changes at
Seaforth
Curling Club ..
Page 14
Board argues school changes
could be improvement for kids
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
Closing all three Seaforth
area schools and housing the.
elementary students in. the
high school building could be
argued as art improvement
for Seaforth,Central Huron
trustee Abby Armstrong said
Tuesday morning.
Armstrong' said she
expected to vote for the
director's report
recommending Seaforth's
two schools. Walton. Puhlic
School. Vanastra Community
School and two Stratford -
area schools for possible
closure at Tuesday night's
board meeting.
1"this is .i
list ' . to
s t u d y
Director of
Education
Lorne Rac3Iis -
schools for
closure and
we have to
start some-
where "
:she said.
She
added that
the prop-
osal to close Seaforth's high
school and send •its students
to four bordering high
schools and move Seaforth
and Walton Public School
students into the high school
building would be . a
"reorganization of the way
the . program is _ being
uclrvered" ►n a bigger and
better building. .
That's a point education!
director Lorne Rachlis also'
(made durinv • a phone
interview Tuesday morning.
"If the scenario unfolds the
way its been recommended,
there will be a very attractive
facility for K-8 'students in
Seaforth." he said listing the
bigger gymnasium and the-.
science labs as improvements .
to the quality of education of
elementary students in 'the
Seaforth area.
While he said some "minor
adjustments" must be made
to the Seaforthhigh school
beforeit can house public
Scott Hilgendorff photo
PJ Day
Nathaniel Bakker, Alison Beuerman, Heather Dietz and Josh Gowan work on art projects while
dressed in pyjamas during a fun day at SeaforthPublic School.
school students. he said.the
cost estimate tor. renovations
is not yet available.
"Detailed information will
be available before the final
decision is . made . -in
February." he said.
Rachlis said the Seaforth
area has been targetted for
school cuts because of the
"unique nature of the high
1 school." a phrase be said
meantthe school's low
enrolment..
When asked if . the
proposed closure of SDHS
would leave Seaforth as thg
only town in the district
without a high school...—eye on a number of scenarios
Rachlis said he is restionsiFie '• there and have to studythem
for the entire district. not. See BOARD,Pogs2
individual locations. . .'
"Lots of places don't have
high schools. Towns are
arbitrary • desighations., There
are .functioning and attractive
.high schools nearby." he
said. •
When asked why central
and north Huron County are
the only areas targetted for -
possible school closures in
the 2000-2001 and 2001-
2002 school years. Rachlis
said they are the only areas
that have • still not had
accommodation reviews
done to study them. '
"It's because we have our
Townre
p pars
to amal arcate .
Community: has chance to .learn
about plans and give input
at public meeting tonight
By Scott Hilgenderff
Expositor Editor -
The public will have a chance tonight' to review and
comment on plans for the amalgamation of Seaforth and
Brussels and the townships of McKillop. Tuckersmith and
Grey.
•For.the •past several months: 'a team of municipal
councillors and staff. chaired by Seaforth Mayor Davi! Scott;
have been working out the details of hog} the municipalities
would operate if they joined together.
Residents are invited to learn about.how the municipality .
w ill look. how its council will be structured and how services
will' be-gli crilitio'tig other ar3T" T _.. - - –.
While a restructuring committee has met monthly to make
recommendations about how the new municipality will be
set up and all the municipalities have accepted the reports
made by the committee. it will be up to a transition team to
work out the final details. •
While the specific details of the amalgamation are not fine
tuned. a restructuring report will he sent to Huron County
Council for appros'al.
"It's a very generic report. It does not get into how the
municipality will operate," said Seaforth Administrator Jack .
McLachlan who is also the administrator for McKillop and
Tuckersmith Township.
While all five municipalities have approved going forward
with the amalgamation. the report must receive county
approval and be forwarded to the provincial government for -
its approval before an amalgamation can take place on
January I, 2001. .
"We're at the stage where it could go to the county at any
time," said McLachlan:
But before it goes there. a series of public meetings is
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