HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-05-24, Page 1High school can't close
Board to decide what's next after court stops closures
Sy Scott Hilgendorff
Expositor Editor
•
Community leaders and school board
members hate no idea w hat-lc-do.next, after a
divisional court ruled Friday that the board
could not close Seaforth District High School -
or Seaforth Puhic,Schrxrl.
"l have to correct our process." .said
`ll
of education Lorne Rachlis. Friday.
after three, judges concluded their judicial
-review of the situation following a civil
action that accused the hoard's closure
process of being unfair in how it was used to
determined -the high, school would close. .
Rachlis and hoard .h.nr. A'endy Anderson
were expecting to review what happened in.
court at last night's hoard meeting and.1ry to
determine what to do nett now that its current
efforts to close the school Piave been halted.
Among the options. for the board are an
appeal of the court decision and starting the
- closure review process over again.
Rachlis said an appeal "is always possible.
• We need to review our options."
He said it will be difficult to unravel steps
already taken to close the schools. •
The board had decided.in February to close
Walton Public School sand Seaforth Public
School. moving those students to the high
school and sending highschool -students to
surrounding communities.
Surrounding schools have been preparing
to •receive Seafonh•high school students and
renovation plans were being made to
accommodate younger students at the high
school.
Local'committees have been working with
the board to address issues such as
planning a June commencement this
year. rather than a traditional fall
graduation so it could he held while
all the students were in the same
high school.
Rachlis said there are a number of
' avenues to consider regarding the
future of the high school.
If the high school and public
school stay .open. Rachlis said
savings have to be found in other
areas such asfrom programs and
services offered to students. •
The panel of three judges'who*conducted
the review will be releasing a written decision
later that expands on their court ruling and:
Rachlis said if they go through a closure
process again. they will look closely at that
Lorne R
dir
of educ
achlis,
ector
otion
decision to make sure the process
addresses the areas in which they
were found unfair.
When asked whether the hoard. was
prepared for the possibility its' closure
decision would be quashed -and how
they would .deal with the
ramifications. he only.said.: ")t's
speculative."
Meanwhile. local residents who filed
the civil suit and their supporters
watched through .tears as the judges
gave their decision Friday, and
responded with cheers and hugs when court
was adjourned. • .
"flit surprised we got a decision this
quickly. "• said Lisa Campbell. co-chair of the
•
In brief
Police
seize
weapons
after
woman
harassed
See COMMUNITY, Page 2
May 24,2000
Si
(includes GST;
Local weather
Wednesday --Sunny
periods • Scattered
showers High 18:
Thursday -Cloudy
periods High 20 Low 10.
Friday --Sunny: High 22.
Low9
Saturday --Cloudy..
Scattered showers High.
19. Low 1.1 -
From fntvronment Canada
A 35 -year-old Hibbert
Township- man was
arrested on a charge of
criminal- harassment and
had his weapons and
ammunition seized by
Huron OPP on Sunday.
Police had -been -called
by his ex-wife,of John
St.. Seaforth. when -she
became concerned for
hersafety because of the
increasing number of.
times he was driving by
her house and calling her.
each day about a custody
battle currently- taking
place over their children.
The• man was released
on a promise to appear in .
court in Goderich on July
10.
Impaired driver
charged
A 20 -year-old Seaforth
man was charged with
impaired driving in
Bayfield on Monday.
He was found to have
one and a half times the
legal. limit of alcohol
during breath tests.
Huron OPP arrested
him when responding to
a citizen's compfaini
about young people
hanging out on Main
Street and possibly
darpaging a ._ pop
machine.
Imo...
Bulking
'Peep a
faiblatr.
pep
Donafonsmade
Kischool Old
O."
Board found unfair by judicial review
By Scott Hilgendorff
Expositor. Editor
The Avon Maitland
. District School Board was
found ;unfair in,its school
closure process affecting
Seaforth Public.School and
Seaforth District High
School in Divisional Court
• Friday in London.
Justices Archie Campbell.
Colin McKinnon and. James
Kent supported four of five.
`areal in ;bi.h%ch Justice
Thomas Heeney . . also
determined the board had
been ..unfair after an *initial
review of -the case in March.
_A cisiI case--betwe.en_
members of the Seaforth
community and the Avon
Maitland Di -strict School.
Board w: ,s brought before
Justice Heeney in March
.when the commuhity sought
an. injunction to prevent the
heard -from acting on any
decision to closethe school
-until a full judicial res iew.
• could occur.
Justice Heeney did not
grant rhe injunction but
-referred the matter. .to -
Friday's full judicial reties. -.
indicating to that panel of
judges that he belies ed the
case against the board was..
strong and cited -five reasons
why he thought the hu.rrd
V. a', unfair.
1 he Justices' decision
t,,ps•the board from'ting
n its. decision to close
Seaforth District High
S, hi nl out move Sealorth
Scott itgendorff photo
Members of the community that led a light against theschool board's decision to close thehigh school let the town know by
taking afire truck around town in celebration of their victory Their "parade" ended at Seaforth Golf and Country club where a
fund raising golf -scramble was held Saturday to raise money for the Community's legal tund.
Public School and Walton . other: school districts. 'properly look • at the Education.
Public'.School students to. • failing to permit the financial situation after They also awarded the
the high school. - Seaforth committer . to . finding -a $200.000 error in applicants S15.000 in court
It does not stop the board explore reasonable savings the board calculated costs to he paid by the board
from closing` Walton Public alternatives to; generate would be generated by for the process although the
School. - • savings;. failing to -provide closing. Seaforth District group's lawyer. Fred Leitch.
The justices supported the committee with ' High School: had requested S30.006
Heeney's.findings that the necessary information about They did. not agree with saying prior to Fridas's
board acted unfairly' by: , how the seven listed schools: Justice Heenes.'s findings court appearance: the group
failing to appoint a Seaforth. were. determined for that the board's school had already assessed
study, committee prior to possible closure: and failing. closure . -policy did not S25.000 in legal costs in its
recommending the schools to give the committee an --Comply with guidelines set fight against the school
he closed. as it did with extension 'of • time •tu out by the Ministry of board.
Centenaires caution team will fold without volunteers
By Susan Hundertmork
Expositor Staff
Reports of the death'of
._ the' Seaforth Cenlenaires f r.
D hockey team have been
greatly exaggerated, agree
team organizers. . •
"It was a tactic in order
to get people out to
volunteer. There's going to
•be a junior team this •year,
no question about it," says
coach Jason Papple, of
recent newspaper ads
warning the team will fold
• if not enough volunteers
attend meetings to plan
next Season.
Centenaires' general
manager' Das e. Parsons says
finding enough volunteers
for successful team is a
• difficult and continuing
problem.
"It's a thankless job but It's a lot of fun and you
from. a. "community meet good people,"he says.
standpoint, it has to be , "Volunteers -have ' a great
-done. Some good people deal to do . with the
who. have carried the team continuation of any club:
for years have left: There You have to have good
.are excellent people in people around you to he
Seaforth and I don't think successful," he says. .
they should let the team • Papple.agrees that more
fall," he says. volunteers are necessary,
Parsons says about 10. especially to take on some
'volunteers are needed to • fund raising projects. -
help with fund_ raising, . "It's hard to recruit
ticket '-•sales •and the players when you"•don't
promotion. of the team. The know what you can offer
commitment required is one them," he says, adding that
meeting a month and fund raising pays , for
attendance at one home everything from sticks and
game a week. . tape to ice time, hockey
"As volunteers, you get jerseys, advertising and gas
free tickets to any Jr. D mileage.
game in Ontario and you Papple says he hopes the
get to be pan of the dances, parents of minor hockey
banquets and Christmas 'players will continue to be
party we have every year. involved when their
children are old enough to
play for the Centenaires.
"The whole town needs
to. be behind us if we're
going•to have -a successful
•
team," he says. -
Dennis Murray;• acting
president of the Centenaires
executive, says the team
needs • "a few more"
members for the executive
and the booster club.
. "It's • the same old story -
if you don't say you're
desperate, no one comet
out." he says, adding that
"everything's going to fall
into place."
Murray says one of the
problems of recruiting.
volunteers to plan the
season is the timing.
• "Nobody's thinking
hockey right now," he says.
• Murray says he's happy
•
to see the recent
volunteering of some young
adults. who though past the
pia>irig age. have decided
to remain insolved•ssith:the•
team. •
"This is the first *team
we've had four longterm
members retiring but every
executive goev through ,
this," he says.
Because • he's been --
recruiting from 'Flint,
Michigan to Thunder Bay,
Parsons says he's predicting
a good team next season.
"I want to wut all Ontario
this year," he says
Murray is also looking
forward to a good year for ,
the Ccntenaires. :
"If all the prospects we
have come out,' ielooks like;
we'll have a better team
than last year." he says.
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