Huron Expositor, 2002-02-06, Page 66—THE HURON EXPOSITOR, February 7, 2001
News
Board sets up policies
for 'Safe Schools Act'
By Stew Slater
Special to The Huron Expositor
Though board officials -say
no one has ever been expelled
from the Huron -Perth Catholic
District School Board, a
committee has begun
discussing policies on
expulsion and other
disciplinary measures.
A government -produced
document entitled "Ontario
Schools: Code of Conduct,"
came into effect in September,
2000, providing guidelines for
boards when implementing
what are being called
"standards of behaviour."
In the past, Huron -Perth
officials have said the board's
current codes of conduct will
meet newly -stated provincial
requirements. But at the
hoard's regular meeting on
Jan. 22, .superintendent of
education Ray Contois
informed trustees about the
formation of a committee to
tackle issues such as
suspension and expulsion.
"In the past. we may have
had some leeway in how we
dealt with some situations,"
Contois said in an interview
following the meeting. "We
don't know if this will change
yet. because those sections of
the (Safe Schools) Act haven't
come into force yet. But we
have to establish how we'll
deal with certain situations
hefore that happens."
The Safe Schools Act was
actually passed in June, 2000,
but the government has only
implemented small portions so
far. And it appears the
legislation will continue to
come into effect incrementally.
"(The education ministry)
started out last year with the
singing of the national anthem
and the reciting of the pledge,"
Contois explained. "Then,
with things like teachers
having the right to suspend
students, they had talked about
that happening in the fall.
Well, it didn't happen."
Contois and staff
coordinator Dennis Mackey,
along with newly -elected
education chair Mary -
Catherine McKeon, attended a
ministry -sponsored
information session recently in
London, and learned about the
coming requirements with
respect to the legislation. This
winter, boards are expected to
finalize their "standards of
behaviour." And indications
are that, by next fall, sections
of the bill dealing with
suspension and expulsion will
be in place.
Hence the committee, which
met for the first time Jan. 30.
The committee includes board
members, principals and The
Children's Aid Society.
In addition, he said, board
officials have already met with
colleagues in the Avon
Maitland District School
Board to discuss the need for
certain common policies. As
an example of such areas of
common concern, Contois
cited the protocol under which
police or social service
agencies would be asked for
involvement.
In response to questioning
from trustee Vincent McInnes,
the superintendent of
education referred to
information from the recent
ministry -sponsored session to
explain the alternative
arrangements which might be
put in place for expelled
students. He said classroom
space would not be provided
on board property for the
expelled student to take
courses, but curriculum would
be made available and an
instructor would, potentially,
be hired. Ideally, he added,
school work -- mainly core
subjects like math and English
-- would take up 40 per cent of
the student's supervised time,
while other social services,
such as counselling, would
take up 60 per cent of the time.
Contois was quick to add,
however, that no changes will
be made until the government
implements the appropriate
portions of the Safe Schools
Act.
Until the proper portions of
the Safe Schools Act are
implemented, he said, "At this
time, we will still be operating
the way we normally have
with suspensions and so on,
until we can get something in
place."
County set to hike taxes
By Sarah Caldwell
Goderich Signal -Star Staff
After holding the line on taxes from 1994-
1998 with zero per cent increases, the county
is proposing a 3-3.5% tax hike for 2001.
The downloaded services from the
Province resulted in additional tax room of
almost $14,000. The province also deducted
a 1.7 per cent efficiency saving and thus
reduced the tax room and the County's
revenue by just under $250,000.
Committees reviewing the budget noted
that for the last several years, the inflation
has. on average, been running between two
to three per cent. The growth in assessment
has been, on average, approximately one-half
one percent per year. This has ment that the
county's resources have been eroding at
about an average of 2.5 per cent a year.
Council has accomodated this through
efficiencies and elimination of programs.
There is very little ability left in the system
to continue in that manner, according to the
county which has led to the proposed 3-3.5
per cent tax increase.
The draft 2001 Huron County budget was
presented for preliminary discussion at all
committee meetings in January. The draft
hudget will be forwarded to the Committee
of the Whole meeting for preliminary review
at the January meeting. The budget will be
reviewed again at the February committee
meetings for finalization.
The budget will be finalized at March's
county council meeting.
County council has brought in zero per
cent increases to the tax rate in each of the
years 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998.
In 1999 the tax rate was increased by one
quarter of one percent to cover court security
costs. In 2000 the tax rate was increased by
two per cent.
For the year 2001 it has been
recommended by the committees that there
be a 3-3.5 per cent increase in taxes.
The increase would be divided in two ways.
Two per cent would be to pay for what
County Council has awarded to unions and
staff associations.
The other 1-1.5 per cent would be spent on
the covering the expanding workload around
water quality, assessmetn related issues,
library staffing, waste management, child
health and all the other issues identified
through the priority setting process. This
additional amount would be allocated on a
priority basis after County Council reviews
reports, throughout the year on where to best
allocate these funds.
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Call Terri at 527-0240
Ontario
Request for Public Opinion
on the Proposed Nursing Home
Annual Licence Renewal of
Mitchell Nursing Home, Mitchell
In accordance with the Nursingjlomes Act, public opinion is being requested prior to a final decision being
made on the above.
If you have comments or opinions and wish to bring them to the attention of the Ministry of Health
and Long -Term Care, you may submit them by March 12, 2001 to:
Director, Operational Support Branch
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long -Term Care
c/o Manager, Monitoring Standards and Evaluation Unit
5700 Yonge Street, Mezzanine Level
North York, Ontario M2M 41(5
Phone: (416) 327-7359 Fax: (416) 327-7364
Please include the name of the nursing home and quote Project /228-01 on all written submissions.
The Director will consider all submissions before making a final decision.
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