Huron Expositor, 2003-12-17, Page 111
News
Seaforth Public School listed to receive
Rural Education Strategy funding
By Stew Slater
Special to The Huron Expositor
With the final adjustments
made to a formula weighted
heavily towards the distance
between small schools, 16
elementary and two
secondary facilities in the
Avon Maitland District
School Board have most
likely qualified for additional
funding under the provincial
government's Rural -
Education Strategy.
Created in response to a
public consultation process
undertaken by the since -
defeated Conservatives, the
S50 -million initiative met
with criticism earlier this
year, when school
administrators discovered the
information being used by
Education ministry officials
wasn't always correct.
In the case of the Avon
Maitland board, initial
ministry figures indicated
Brussels Public School was
practically next door to
Hullett Public School, and St.
Marys Central was treated as
the closest school to Arthur
Meighen, even though one
serves primary students and
the other serves Grades 4-8.
Under a final readjustment
of -those figures, however,
many inaccuracies were
eliminated, according to Janet
Baird -Jackson.
The Avon Maitland
business superintendent, in a
Rural Education Strategy
update provided at a regular
Tuesday, Dec. 9,
stated, "we received
information late Wednesday,
Dec. 3 providing clarification
around the ... rules and are
currently calculating the
impact of those changes."
Baird -Jackson's latest
estimates suggest the
following elementary schools
will receive Rural Education
Strategy,funding:
Brookside; Brussels,
Central Perth, Colborne,
Downie, East Wawanosh,
Elma, Grey, Hensall, Howick,
Huron Centennial, North
t:asthope, Seaforth,
Sprucedale, Stephen, and
Zurich.
According to those
estimates, Brookside, which is
in the extreme north of Huron
County and is the second
furthest away from any other
school at 17.3 kilometres, will
receive the most money:
$52,461.
The school which is the
furthest from its closest
neighbour is Howick, at 18.9
kilometres, but it would likely
receive slightly less.
The school on the list likely
to receive the smallest amount
is Zurich, with $19,985.
The threshold distance for
Rural Education Strategy
money is eight kilometres,
with North Easthope (near
Amulree) and Sprucedale (in
Shakespeare) just barely
qualifying. The two schools
lie 8.1 kilometres apart.
The distance factor is larger
for secondary schools, with
F.E. Madill in Wingham and
Goderich District Collegiate
Institute the only Avon
Maitland facilities expected to
qualify.
Baird -Jackson included a
breakdown of how the
Education ministry might
direct boards to spend the
money in each school.
Specific envelopes,
announced when the
government introduced the
Rural Education Strategy,
include learning materials, in -
school administration, and
others.
Huron East/Central trustee
Shelley Kaastra wondered
why Baird -Jackson's analysis
included no learning resources
money for any of the 18
schools.
The business superintendent
responded that her reading of
the ministry's formula
indicated no schools would
qualify for such funding.
Director of education Geoff
Williams added the Rural
Education Strategy could
allow the board to take some
money out of other areas to
support learning resources.
In the past, he noted, money
has been taken from other
NOTICE TO MEMBERS
5 2nd ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING
will be held at the
Betty Cardno Centre
Hwy 8 West CLINTON, Ontario
on WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7, 2004
Complimentary Dinner: 6:00 P.M.
Meeting Start Time: 7:00 P.M.
For Dinner Planning, Attendance
Must be Confirmed in Advance.
Please Register By Contacting Your Branch or
calling Shelley Merner (519) 482-3409 ext. 231
by Monday. Jan. 5.2004
For the purpose of receiving reports and financial
statements for the year ending September 30, 2003;
electing Directors and Credit Committee Officers;
appointing Auditors; amending Bylaws and the
transacting of all other business of an Annual
Meeting, stated only on the aganda as per
bylaw No. 7.07
Special Door Prizes!
Entertainment - The Harmony Kings!
Transportation Available
Buses leaving from the Exeter and Listowel branch
office parking lots. Buses will leave Exeter at
5:30 p.m. with a pick up in Hensall if required, and
5:00 p.m. from Listowel. Please call Shelley Merner
at the Clinton office 482-3409 Ext. 231, Karen Fox at
Exeter 235-0640 and Mike Shepski at Listowel
291-6189 by Monday, Jan. 5th, 2004, to arrange.
t Confirm your attendance today. Hope to see you
there!
All Members are welcome.
Heartliiiid
Community Credit Union Limited
Head Office, Clinton
48 Ontario Street, Clinton
Ph (519) 482-3466 Fax (519) 482-3743
Exeter Branch
118 Main Street, Exeter,
Ph (519) 235-0640 Fax (519) 235-0261
Listowel Branch
161 Inkerman Street W. Ustowet
,AP,.h(519) 291.6189 Fax (519)291.6191
Wets a 1YY.'�Y I`:ea" . ?m.U1t1nG1ffriLIXICA
areas to keep small schools as
well -served as possible, and
that money could now be put
into learning resources.
Baird -Jackson's board -wide
estimate for additional
funding is just over $600,000,
which is not far off her initial
hopes.
The Avon Maitland board
also expects to receive just
over $130,000 as a result of
the new Liberal government's
recent announcement of
funding to "Improve Student
Literacy" for those in
disadvantaged social classes.
Although Premier Dalton
McGuinty admitted much of
the $112 million would end up
in urban communities with
many English as a Second
Language (ESL) students, a
portion is available based on
other social factors.
Details on that initiative
also arrived Dec. 3. Trustees
approved a recommendation
to place the money into a
"student literacy" reserve, to
"provide more adequate time
to analyze the impact prior to
making any decisions on how
to allocate this grant."
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, DECEMSER 17, 2003-11
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