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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2009-09-16, Page 20168 Jarvis St. Seaforth MIs 090601$149,900 I Pig. 20 The Huron Expositor • September 16, 2009 News Brussels and Grey Central part of accommodation review Stew Slater 4111111111.911111110 A just -approved review of student accommodation in the Listowel re- gion stretches as far east as Wallace and as far west as Brussels, even though there were strong indications of disagreement among trustees and senior staff of the. Avon Maitland District School Board regarding the schools on each extreme. At the board's first regular meet- ing of the 2009-10 school calendar on Tuesday, Sept. 8, trustees first amended and then approved a staff recommendation to commence an accommodation review in the catch- ment areas served by six elementary schools: Brussels Public School, Grey Central Public School, Elma Town- ship Public School, Listowel Central Public School, Listowel Eastdale Public School • and Wallace Public School. A separate accommodation review was also approved in South Huron, involving Hensall Public School, Ex- eter Public School, Usborne Central Public School, Stephen Central Pub- lic School and Zurich Public School. A staff report, delivered at the meeting by education superinten- dent Mike Ash, states, "declining enrolments remain (the board's) big- gest financial challenge." "Regardless of changes to the (pro- vincial Education Ministry) funding formula, our revenue remains di- rectly tied to the number of students within the board.". "As enrolment declines, so does revenue. As a result, the board must continue to seek efficiencies in its op- erations." Speaking to trustees, Ash com- mented, "as schools get smaller, we have an increased likelihood of tri- ple classes, which we are concerned. about and parents are concerned about." The superintendent added that, as schools get smaller, there's a smaller "professional learning community" — a network of teachers and adminis- trators between whom ideas can be shared and best practices compared. He also cited the advancing age of many Avon Maitland schools. This year, the average throughout the board is 45.4 years. "When you have a significant num- ber of buildings in which you have to deal with 40 -year-old infrastructure .. those costs impact on our ability to provide service. The age of the building is a factor at Brussels Public School. Even though its enrolment is actually higher than its Education Ministry -rated capac- ity, the staff report explains "there are concerns about the condition of the building and the costs to main- tain." Interestingly, however, this in- formation is included in the "North Central Huron" section of the report — alongside information from six oth- er elementary schools in the Wing - coLDweu. BANKelt All Points Festival City Reatty Brokerage Seaforth & Area Listings www.coldwellbankerfc.com (519) 527-21031 Main St, Seaforth *Sales Representatives I fa al 41496 Moncrief Road RR12• Blyth MIS 092584 $189,000 SANDRA DALE Cell: 519-525-9788 sandradale.com BRENDA CAMPBELL Cell: 519-525-9154 brenda-campbetoom ham district. Five of these schools are currently slated to undergo consolidation, in- cluding a recently -approved, newly - built facility near Wingham. But Brussels was not included in the 2008-09 accommodation review that preceded those changes. The "North Perth" section of the Sept. 9 report, by contrast, includes no information about Brussels. The report does address nearby (and fellow Huron County -based) Grey Central Public School in Ethel, noting that "staff- have heard from the ... school community that they align more with Listowel District Secondary. School than they do with F.E. Madill Secondary School. It's unlikely the same could be said for Brussels Public, especially con- sidering that the school's graduates tend to move . on to the Wingham- based high school. Speaking to trustees, however, Ash explained that "enrolment is declin- ing at a very quick rate" at Grey Cen- tral" and that "there are a number of schools that we could potentially consider for an accommodation solu- tion." Quizzed by reporters after the Sept. 8 meeting, Ash confirmed that "Brussels is (included in the North Perth review) because of its proxim- ity to Grey." He also spoke about the board's hopes that the Education Ministry will renew its Capital Priorities ini- tiative — the funding envelope tapped into earlier this year for the planned new Wingham-area school. The program is partly designed to replace aging schools, and Ash sug- gested Brussels might qualify if the program is renewed. "Anything's a possibility as we work through the process," the su- perintendent responded, when asked if the board would propose a new: school to replace Brussels Public. At the other end of the new North Perth accommodation review, Wal- lace Public School was originally left out of the Sept. 8 staff recommenda- tion. But it was placed into the cluster See DECLINING, Page 21 HOUSE FOR SALE 4 JUST LISTED ` a 4 BEDROQ HOME FOLLY FINISHED ON EXTRA LARGE FENCED LOT PRICED AT ONLY $269,900 MLS NEW Michelle Chesselly iome Ofice: 519-348-0244 519-273-2821 Dir. 519-275-5004 a -b Realty Ltd. 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