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The Huron Expositor • December 30, 2009 Page 13
School Board chair and vice -chair return for 2010
Stew Slater
41111111.1111111.
In the midst of tackling a third major
school consolidation proposal in three
consecutive years, trustees of the Avon
Maitland District School Board opted
for continuity in leadership for 2010.
At the board's annual `inaugural
meeting" on Tuesday, Dec. 8, the 2009
chair and vice -chair were 'returned to
their•posts uncontested.
North Perth representative Jenny
Versteeg was .acclaimed for a second
consecutive one-year term as chair. Fel-
low trustees Doug Pratley of Stratford
and Randy Wagler of South Huron were
both nominated but declined to allow
their names to stand.
Pratley was then acclaimed for a sec-
ond straight year as vice -chair, again af-
ter Wagler turned down a nomination.
"There is so much leadership ability
in this room that I know the only reason
I can be chair is that you let me," Ver-
steeg said after accepting the position.
"Apparently, we've been given another
chance to get things right."
For 2010, "getting things right" for the
board amounts, in large part, to carry-
ing out two wide -reaching accommoda-
tion review processes.
Board -mandated, community-based
Accommodation Review Committees
are currently assessing proposals for
school consolidation in South Huron
and North Perth/northeast Huron.
It's expected trustees will vote in June
on what will most likely be recommen-
dations to close two or more elementary
schools, and relocate some Grades 7 and
8 students into secondary school envi-
ronments.
This falls on the heels of school consol-
idations in 2008 in St. Marys and God-
erich and 2009 in Northwest Huron.
"We started. this (four-year) term with
44 elementary schools and it looks like
we might end up with 41. That's an odd
measurement of progress," she admit-
ted to trustees.
But, speaking with reporters after the
Dec. 8 meeting, Versteeg stressed the
board is not focused solely on consoli-
dating schools. The accommodation re-
view proposals, she said, flow from the
larger challenges facing school boards
across the province.
"We're going to be dealing with the ef-
fects of declining enrolment, as we have
been for several years, and we're going
to be dealing with the tightening of bud-
gets by the provincial government," she
said, when asked what challenges the
board will face over the coming year.
Addressing the
accommodation
reviews, she add-
ed, "it's a big thing
when you change a
community ... You
have to be able to
adapt for the fu-
ture. That word
`sustainability' is
a pretty big thing,
but we've got to be
thinking about it."
The year 2010
marks the final
year of this group
of nine trustees'
terms. The munic-
ipal election in the
fall of 2010 will
provide the op-
portunity for them
to be challenged
in an election, or
step down and let
Mike Miller acclaimed as chair of
Catholic District School Board
Mike Miller, trustee for Bluewater and South
Huron, was acclaimed chair of the Huron -Perth
Catholic District School Board at the board's 2009-
10 inaugural meeting on Monday, Dec. 7.
"We've got no big projects on the horizon — just
ongoing issues," Miller told reporters after the
meeting.
Theoperator of a garden centre near St. Joseph,
Miller has served as a trustee for 18 years.
This marks his fourth time chairing the board.
He replaces God-
erich/North Huron
representative Jim
McDade, who took
the helm for the
first time a year
ago. .
St. Marys/Perth
South trustee Ber-
nard Murray ' was
acclaimed as vice -
chair.
This will be the
final year for the
five -member board
before trustees
must face the pros-
pect of re-election
in the 2010 mu-
nicipal election.
Asked by report-
ers if he plans on
again seeking a
nomination for the
Bluewater/South
Huron jurisdiction, Miller said he expects he will.
Earlier, speaking to trustees, he admitted it's
possible to get discouraged by the limitations
placed on school boards by the provincial govern-
ment.
But, he is inspired to continue as a trustee by
the knowledge that the board works well with a
variety of community partners, and by the fact
that it's the students who ultimately must benefit
from the board's work.
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someone else represent their ward.
Versteeg notes this puts pressure on
this group of trustees if they want to see
certain goals accomplished.
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