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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2000-02-23, Page 22-TH0 HURON !EXPOSITOR, February 23, 2000 News Report recommends six schools close By Susan Hundsrtmark Expositor Staff Six of the seven Avon Maitland schools studied for possihle-closure. including the the three Seaforth-area schools. were recommended for, closure shyeducation director Lorne Rachlis at . .Tuesday night's board meeting. Of the seven schools studied. only Downie Central Public School near Sehringville is recommended to remain open. , The results of .the actual vote were not available at press time. • '. in his action report, Rachlis says the Seaforth community's proposed solution of. moving Grades 7 and 8 to Seaforth District High School is not solution -to the ongoing problem of ,declining secondary enrolment. "While it- • - would temporarily.increase the occupancyof the -building, it addresses neither. the well- established long term decline in the - population of secondary school -aged children nor the elimination of the OAC year." says the report. "His -analysis, however, does not address the viability of the community's proposal of an agricultural prep,school at SDHS, which has been predicted to attract as many as -25 students from outside the district during its first year of operation. "It's an idea that could take place in any school," he said • Monday of the prep school. "And there 'was no information in the Seaforth report that anyotle had done any market research and we • would have needed that information." • Rachlis's- report also says that the mdving of Grades 7 • and 8 to SDHS "does 'not allow the school to achieve eitjler,the range of secondary course offerings or the - savings arising from economies of scale through ' reductions of .duplicated school staff, 'which could be achieved byconsolidating two smaller bodies of secondary students in one location." ' M well, the 'report shoots 'down Seaforth suggestions involving students elsewhere in the district including moving ,Clinton Public School students into Central Huron Secondary'School. moving Grades 7 and 8 from Robertson and Victoria Public Schools into Goderich District Collegiate Institute. :,moving,King Lear students .into Stratford Central. • ;'The costs savings generated for closure •of Seaforth District High School, relate primarily to savings in administration and classroom • stall'. one principal. one vice principal and. 1.67 teachers.'- - says the report. Rachlis. in the report.. points out that while the• idea to close- Clinton's high school would eliminate- a large number of empty pupil places, Central Huron • has a greater capacity than SDHS -to house a larger body of . students along with mire specialized facilities such as _technology, labs. - . He responds to. the Seaforth community's- proposal to create a JK to Grade 6 facility at Seaforth Public School- by pointing out the ;'significant cells • of renewing the building" and stressing the improved facilities for students. includinga larger gymnasium and -science lab facilities at the high school building. . The severe economic and social impact predicted- by • hundreds of Seaforth businesses and citizens was - "taken into consideration." says Rachlis's report. • "There will undoubtedly he some impact should .the school close, however. the board must maintain its focus on providing t•hc. best possible education to all of its students -with the funding availahle."'.11 .a) s • If SSDHS. i. :hosed. •Rachlis's report say. Sealorth students who choose to attend - Central Huron Secondary School iii Clinton or Mitchell District High School will..have a -w-ider range of course pocsihilitics. including more technology studies and music. - The report says Central . Huron will receive most.of the former SDHS students. requiring a .reorganization to its adult education -program. Smaller numhers .will he received by Mitchell and F.E. Madill in Wingham. • If Seaforth Public School is moved to the high -school hui ]ding, 'the'report-says. kindergarten to Grade .3 students Will -remain at the puhlic school -building with a vice principal until Jan. 200.1 until renovations - are. completed. Students iii the Sunshine Room. will move to the space 'currently occupied by the SDHS's self-contained class, . As well: the Scafurth Co operative_ Child Care .Centre.;.. wllicti is.currently.located in .• portables on SPS property.. and ,makes use of SPS classroom space -will he invited to work in concert with the board in the event of any closure in, ontcr to maintain service to the commitnity." says the reniirt: : Agar'tells board there will be a High school m Seaforth this fall: private school is option From Page 1 ' Seaforth if the board closes SDHS and Ipas had. some conversations with local teachers who• would -be • interested in the idea. "One way or:another. there will be a:high school in. Seaforth come September." she said. ' • Agar told trustees that if 161). students leave the public school system. the board will lose 3600.000 in• provincial • funding. Ifachlis has said that the board 'hopes to save *tin 5300.000 in operating costs by closing the three Seaforth- ' 'area schools and moving SPS students to the SDHS facility. Agar's number of 100 students would mean a little more than a third of the 281 students attending SDHS. "Hos -will the board' explain this because -it's a problem the board created, themselves," she asked. Seaforth study - group member Cttrolanne Doig also said trustea were working under a misconception if they thought s t u d en is wouldn't be lost .to the. Catholic Quoted TlCatholic board knows that students are customers and customers are cask: They will get 'portables to - house the students,'-- Carolanne Doig school system if SDHS closes.. "The Catholic board knows that students are customers and customers are cash. They will get portables to house t h e School currently has two students."` portables and St.' NIidharl she warned Secondary School has nine. - teustees; Blanchette :aid that he has Huron -Perth _re,ceiveil some cnuuirtes D i s t r i c t. about registration at F-iuron. Catholic Perth. Catholic high-school' S c. h. o 0 I hut refused to Speculate how B o at d many students ini' ht Iransfc' -from the puhlic system. . While students can retilstcr d i rectaonar G aet- Blanchette .it anytime ul _ the year. said 'that Blanchette aid: tfiosc while there . plannine i<► register :n the is no extra Catholic .}•stein shotiki do .o space° atSt. : as soon°as possible." `.Anne's :in , "If we were to •.11 • Clinton Or at "quantity Of ‘studcntsr we. St. Michael in Stratford. provincial open acdess rules, at the secondary level would prohibit the Catholic hoard from turning any students away. . St. Anne's Secondary. Meeting was to be informal says director of education From Page 1 .trustees. and politicians could speak freely without -fear of their comments being published, On the agenda -was• time for -a general' discussion about school closures and time to consider group or individual action regarding the school.closure issue. "('don't think there was any reason for the press not Jo be, there," said Seaforth Mayor' Dave Scott, a former editor of The Huron . Expositor.. - • He said the letter inviting councils 10_send a representative to, the meeting did not indicate it. would be behind closed doors. "I don't think we had anything. to hide. I knovii we (Seaforth .council] didn't," said Scott: • Scott also said he was upset to learn it was the director of education and not the chair of the board who made the decision the press could not be at the meeting. • He questioned whether or not it was administration or the elected -trustees who were running the board. He said it was chair.Wendy Anderson's name on the agenda for the meeting and that she should have been making the decisions. - "I have a problem vfrith him [Rachlis] making the call." he said. "The trustees keep forgetting, they're the bosses." . • He also said keeping the press out was "fundamentally wrong." After Stratford Beacon Herald reporter. Ron Carson attempted to, gain access'to the meeting,•the Beacon Herald reported he was told the Education Act did not apply to the meeting and the people at the meeting were there by invitation. ' He told The 'Beacon Herald the people asked to be there were' told the meeting would be closed. Several of the municipal representatives were not under the impression the meeting would be closed to the public. • The Education Act under Access to Meetings and Records, says; "The meeting of a board and. subject. to Subsection ( 2 ).. meetings of a -committee 'the board. "incltiding a committee of- the'whole- board,. shallbe open to• the public and no person shall be excluded from. . a .. meeting that is open to the public except'for improper conduct." ' Subsection (2) lists the reasons why board meetings may be'closed and includes the security of .property of the; board. disclosureof intimate. personal or financial information about members of the board. employees or students. acquisition •or disposal of a §chool site.. decisions- in respect of negotiations of employees with the board and litigation affecting the board. . weren't cxpectimi. si•c;(l need 10 know. the stonier the better. if there was extra .pace. i1 would he less of .t _problem-' but if mita Lve .i alcove to • create tlic .Noce si,rnehiiww.-- he said. FI1IEWOOD We have plenty of Debarked Hardwood Maple or Ash Slab Wood - Free Delivery within 20 miles - WI'M NOW 111111/INO... STANDING TIMBER! i Lir Call w for a FREE QUO' t CRANI HARDWOODS LTD. Aubttm, Cant. S1lSAi-7220 Vim* AMMMMlino/ t1 NOTICE For the comemcnce of our :Items SEAFORTN VETERINARY CLINIC' will be open WEDNESDAY EVENINGS by appointment only Please call for -appointments -519-527-1760 Ifs Our 36' ANNIVERSARY SALE Or: SIINWI11tINY icV in and . ve even more cn our ,n -store specials HUNDREDS OF ROLLS IN STOCK. 2f3 Save Now With These Cash Prices WILDEDRAND PAINT AND PAPER "Interior end Exterior Decorators" Main St. Seaforth 527-1880 l No mention is made in the i report of the new S15.3.01It1 day care facility pre•ente.t . during a puhlic meeting in January in Sealortll.,ts part of the• renovations to the high - school building.. The report ,c li►ses W.tlion " Public School. say ing• that •. while the school council's. idea expanding connections with community colleges with the suggested early childhood education program is "worth exploring," it goes on to say • "whether that would hest he -done at Walton Public .School. or in another setting is .a matter. for. discussion with the -community colleges" adding there is little space available in Walton 'tor such a program. -. The report adds: that keeping Grade 5 students at the school will not let -the hoard realize the savings arming from the closure of U e school: vr• carr February is Heart and Stroke Month Support the V -. Heari and Strok- i'oullClatiOn. McMaster Siemon -Zr- INSURANCE • BROKERS INC. •AUTO •H;,ME •F•iHG1 •TRAVEL COMMERCIAL •!-IFE INSURANCE BROKERS: 13111 Siemon Veda Siernon Anette McTaggart Ken Hutchison Paul 1Vettlauier 68 Ontario Rd. • 348-9150 Mitchell 1.800-561.0183 Stratford .�. 1••• 1 :. Gretna~ /h. • • . 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