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Huron Expositor, 2007-03-21, Page 8Page 8 March 21, 2007 • The Huron Expositor News 'Virtual' high school not the money-maker the Avon Maitland board hoped it would be Stew Slater At one time, officials of the Avon' Maitland District School Board pre- dicted they could turn their dis- tance education system into a money-maker by attracting qu- dents from outside the board. Five years later, thanks to the costs of developing effective courses and maintaining a motivated teach- ing staff, attracting students from outside the board has happened but the money -making has not. And now, with the provincial gov- ernment launching its own version of the online "virtual" high school promoted by the Avon Maitland Distance Education Centre (AMDEC), advocates of the service find themselves defending its exis- tence. "Over the last number of years, expenses have exceeded revenue more significantly every year," thing students in regular high explained superinten- dent Ted Doherty at a regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 27. Last year, that deficit reached $700,000. A portion of that deficit, he argued, results from the fact it's more difficult for AMDEC to generate per -pupil funding than it is for regular sec- ondary schools. In a regular sec- ondary school, a stu- dent only needs to • show up for the begin- ning of the day to make the school eligible for a grant. At AMDEC, they must actually complete assign- ments — some - `Over the last number of years, expenses have exceeded revenue more significantly every year,' -- schools don't necessarily accomplish. AMDEC principal Eleanor Salmon added the virtual school's financial allotment also funds such board - wide initiatives as an anti -bullying website, online co-op courses for students registered (and funded) at other Avon Maitland high schools, and an online autism .advisory ser - Superintendent Ted vice. Doherty "All of these pro- } grams, with which we're proud to be involved for the Avon Maitland board,- contribute to that deficit," Salmon commented. church Services You are invited to attend these area churches St. Thomas Anglican Church A Conpepafon d be Path d The Hoy S % Jarvis St. Seaforth 527-1522 Rector: The Revd Sue Malpus. M. Div Sunday, March 25 . Fifth Sunday of Lent WORSHIP AT 9:30 AM KID -ZONE children's program at 9:30am T ze-Stye Worship on Thursdays at 730pm during Lent Recta's Coffee Hours Tuesdays 9- t t am with Daily Office devotions at 9am Parish Council - Sat Mar 24 at 11 am St, James Roman Catholic. Church Welcomes you 14 Victoria Street, Seaforth 527-0142 Weekend Masses: Sat 5:15 pm Sun. 11:00 am Fr. Chris Gillespie Bethel Bible Church An Associated Gospel Church 126 Main St. Seaforth 527-0982 Sunday School 9:45 am Sunday Worship 11:00 am B&G Club Wed. 7:00 - 8:15 pm Youth Activities Wed. 7:00 pm Pastor Mark Kennedy EVERYONE WELCOME Egmondville United Church Pastor Steve Hildebrand Sunday, March 25 WORSHIP 11 AM SUNDAY SCHOOL 10AM NORTHSIDE UNITED CHURCH 54 Goderich St. W. Rev. John Gould Sunday March 25th Worship at 11:OOam Sermon: he Pieces Of Us Which Die" All Welcome. Sunday School & Nursery During Worship First Presbyterian Church Goderich St. W., Seaforth Rev. Henry Huberts Sunday March 25 11:15 am service Sunday School & Nursery Provided. PUBLIC NOTICE RE: 2007 Municipality of Central Huron Budget This notice is given under the provisions of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. c 25, s. 291 (1) Notice - Before adopting all or part of a budget under section 289 or 290, or amending such a budget, a municipality shall give public notice of its intention to adopt or amend the budget at a council meeting specified in the notice. The Draft 2007 Municipality of Central Huron Budget will be pre- sented `and considered for adoption at the Special Meeting of Council, Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 23 Albert Street, Clinton, Ontario. Richard Harding, Clerk Administrator Municipality of Central Huron If you are unemployed or on El Attend A FREE WORKSHOP Call The Centre for Employment & Learning TODAY TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR OPTIONS 519-524-2515 519-482-1700 519-235-0471 519-527-0305 519-357-4995 EMPLOYMENT ONTARIO Goderich Clinton Exeter Seaforth Wingham Employment Ontario programs are funded in pen by the Government of Canada In past years, trustees have main- tained their support of AMDEC, seeing it as a way to provide a wider range of courses to students from small high schools. They've also welcomed the rev- enue it does generate from outside the board, mainly through students who are home schooled, on military bases outside Canada, or who are unable to attend schools in their own board due to disciplinary or other reasons. This year, however, ADMEC faces a new challenge: Ontario's Education Ministry has mirrored the Avon Maitland service with something called eLO, and put the government's promotional resources into offering the new service to the same people targeted by AMDEC. "It's very well-done. It's got all the bells and whistles. They're working really hard and spending a lot of money on it," Salmon admitted. In fact, former AMDEC principal Laurie Hazzard is on secondment from the Avon Maitland board to the Education ministry, helping develop eLO. Hearing about eLO at the Feb. 27 meeting had some trustees wonder- ing why the Avon Maitland wouldn't just abandon AMDEC and let stu- dents join eLO courses instead. But Salmon and Doherty respond- ed by saying eLO is still in its infan- cy, and AMDEC remains far ahead in terms of creating a virtual high school complete' with online chat - rooms, discussion forums, and a student council that is lobbying the board for support. "What we're hearing from our stu- dents is that one of the attractions of AMDEC is that they can be part of a community," Salmon said. "They don't have that opportunity with eLO." She added the eLO online plat- form hasn't yet been perfected. "Quite frankly, all of the technical glitches that were ironed out years ago in AMDEC are happening now with eLO." The meeting's agenda didn't include discussions about next year's budget, and there were no direct requests for continued finan- cial support for AMDEC. But leading into this spring's bud- get deliberations, the virtual school is worthy of support in the coming years, at least until eLO develops into something more substantial than its current incarnation. Trustees seemed generally sup- portive, although that's sure to be tested when next year's spending is discussed.