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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2000-05-31, Page 1616 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, May 31, 2000 News Heather Rae photo Royal dance Corinne Leonhardt and Adam Leonhard', cousins, were elected prom king and queen at Seaforth District High School's formal Friday -night. New closure process could be started Board still looking at its options after court keeps schools open ' From Page 1 teachers to teach the Grade -7 and 8 students_ "Agreement may not he possible prior to the start of school,"said the report.. Scaforth District . High - School council chair Maurcecn Agar. a leader in the tight to keep the schools • Open said she'd be happy with either option two or three: "Three' more classes will put the high school up to the 375 mark (for enrolment) and it's full at 400 .so it's good." she said."Thc hoard • has worked at chasing kids away to.the Catholic board hut with the Grades 7 and 8 in the high school. they'll be. more likely to stay in the community." . Scaforth Puhlic. School council chair Susan Arts said the Seaforth community has been pushing for a Grade 7 to OAC school at the high. school since January. "That's what we always' intended and asked for. 1 want the solution that %%ill ensure the high school will remain open for eternity," she said. No decision has yet bean reached about whether or not the hoard will appeal last Friday's ruling by a divisional court that the hoard was unfair in its 'school closurc.process.affccting Scaforth District High. School:and Scaforth Puhlic School. But, Rachlis said the board has 15 days from the date of. thc ruling to request the court of appeal tb appeal the decision. Last night's meeting. held after press time, was .11 •days into the 15 -day period. . "The*.board has to•reflcct on what it has learned. Our expectations . have hecn- ch'angcd by the court's decision." said Rachlis. He said that the hoard could decide to "d( it all over .again" by starting another closure process after it decides what aspects of the current closure practices and policy need to be changed. Arts said that while the Seaforth Community knows the battle to keep. Scaforth District High School open has just begun again, she. hopes that creating a Grade 7 -OAC school at the high school -will. keep it viable. "We don'.t want to go through this again in a year," she said. Trustees went back into closed session following last week's regular board mccting to discuss theruling and came out agreeing to last night's special meeting: "This is thc first working day since the ruling. 1 think it's wise to take time to look at the diffcrcnt.options." said Rachlis following last week's board Meeting. • Board chair Wendy Anderson called the ruling "disappointing" fast Tuesday .'and added that she takes comfort from the fact that the judicial review did not rule on whether thc board's. school closure policy complies with Ministry of ' Education guidelines. . "Maybe we Netter look at . the process," she .said. "But. that doesn't mean 1 agrcc with them (the three justices who ruled against the hoard). We made every effort to hear what parents had to say."` The judicial review ruled the public did not have a fair chance to present alternatives to the. board. Rachlis said that while the hoard willhe obeying the direction of the court,he cannot ensure that "everything goes hack to the way it was." He said most students and teachers from SDHS planned to move to CentralHuron ,Secondary School in Clinton, and course selections had. been given to Central' Huron to build its timetable. "There is some undoing that has to be. done. We'll do what we have to to make sure there arc teachers in Scaforth in September." he said. Where to place students from Walton and Huron Centennial Public Schools who were expected to attend the new public school to be located at the high school site was also expected to be decided last night. Principals waiting for word on where to send students BySusan Hundertm_a_rk_ Expositor Stoll Arca principals were :waiting for the results of a special hoard meeting last night for •answers tothe many questions about where -students will attend school in Septcmhcr. - But they haven't faced many questions` from parents concerned about where -their children wilt he going in September. "Not .a call." said Scaforth District" High School principal Jim Moore. adding that parents arc probably waiting to hear, what the hoard decided last night. • ."it's hcen fairly calm. Everyone.is in a waiting mode and arc fairly patient at this point. said Scaforth Puhlic School prtncipal: Lorne Ridcout. adding he hoped there would be answers following last night's special hoard mecting. . Huron Centennial principal Dave Higgins said be hasn't received a call either but added he received few calls from affected parentsbefore thc board decided to close six of the seven schools in the region being studied for closure including Seaforth Puhlic School, Seaforth District High School. Walton Puhlic School • and Vanastra Community School. "i haven't been directed to stop any planning to accept Vanastra students and the decision docs affect a number of students who live in Egmondville. i have a question mark myself about what happens to those children." tic said. Before the divisional court ruled against thc hoard's plans to close Scaforth. District ' High School and Scaforth Puhlic School.- Egmondvillc 'students attending Huron Centennial were expected to go to Scaforth Public School at its new location at the high school. Walton Public Sc4tool principal Alice McDowell said she'I; received a few calls from parents wondering if their children will still be sent to Seaforth Public School. ' But, she Said no one is holding out any hope that Walton will remain open. ' "As far as we know, the other four schools are still slated for closure," she said. Walton school council chair Dianne Van Vlict said despite suggestions to thc hoard that Walton remain open. because of the 92 per cent capacity of students already attending Scaforth Puhlic School. she's been told Walton students will go to Scaforth. "Certainly it's a concern that there won't be enough room for everyone at- Scaforth tScaforth Public School." she said.. Shc added that the Walton community is not planning a civil suit against thc hoard. despite thc fact that, like the Scaforth community. it was given only two months to'study alternatives to the closure of the school, compared to thc nine months given to othcr schools. Thc judicial review ruled thc Scaforth community did not have a fair chance or an equal amount of time as other schools. to present alternatives to thc board. "Wc don't have a big fight planned. We don't have the resources to launch a law suit. Our main concern has always been the children," she said. KNECHTEL Food Markets Spring into SAVINGS Prices in effect until Friday, June 2, 2000 LEAN GROUND BEEF 1 69b Smart Choice Selected Varieties 4 litre ICE CREAM Selected Varieties 355 ml OLD SOUTH ORANGE JUICE 813 Selected Varieties 2L. PEPSI, 7 -UP QR SCHWEPPES SOFT DRINKS Smart Choice 455m1 Selected Varieties • BBQ SAUCES 1 .Selected Varieties -Smart Choice 600 g. CHEESE BARS 4 99 ■ No. 1 Grade Product of Mexico RED OR GREEN SEEDLESS GRAPES 449H ■ Ib. Selected Varieties 6-12 L SUNLIGHT LAUNDRY DETERGENT 5 99 ;r 0 MAPLE LEAF BBQ BRATS 1,.79 Ui MUSTARD OR GREEN RELISH Selected Varieties 350-400 g. 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