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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLucknow Sentinel, 2009-05-20, Page 10.••••••••......V••••41. Page 10 - Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, May 20, 2009 • Photo by Garit Reid The Monday night bowling league sea- son champs, the Road Runners includes, back row: left to right, Eric Taylor, Rob Beams and Jason Steffler. In the front is Theresa Flood. • it -.• Photo by Garit Reid The Monday night bowling league playoff champs, the Wile E. Coyotes includes, left to right: Anita Elliott, Richard Elliott, Andy Furness, and. Wendy Ritchie. Bluewater School Board facing projected deficit next year BY MARY GOLEM Special to the Sentinel • The Bluewater District • School Board is facing a projected deficit of $4,085,862 for the coming school year. Superintendent of business Brenda Booth said it will be "a huge challenge" for the board to meet Ministry of Education expecta- tions of a balanced budget. Trustees got their first look at the board's estimated expenditures of $185,699,824 for the 2009-10 school year at a business committee meeting in Chesley on May 5. The board then met behind closed doors with union representatives dur- ing the afternoon before the board's first-ever • public input session yes- terday evening. However, only five members of the. public showed up. Owen Sound area •trustee • Marg Gaviller, who chats the business com- mittee, said she was "feeling a little non- plussed" after hear- ing Booth's budget report for the fust time. We were all sink in." expecting a gap (between budgeted expenses and • expected grant rev- enue) but this deficit is certainly larger than we would hie to see," Caviller said. "What it means is we have more work to do. We've been wrestling with this for some time, but this was our first reality check . . we need time to let this • . , • • Notice of Open Houses for a Five -Year Review of the Huron County Official Plan TAKE NOTICE that the Corporation of the County of Huron will. hold a statutory open house under the provisions of Sections 17 of the Planning Act, RSO 1990, es amended, to. providemembers of the public an opportunity to review the materials and ask questions about the proposed amendments to the Huron County Official Plan. ANY PERSON may attend the open house and/or make written or verbal representation. iNIONOMENOMIllik Five•puOlic openhouseswill be held across the County in, - GODERICII, on Wednesday, June 17th, 6:00 9:00pm at the Huron County Museum (110 North St.) . NVIENGUAl%, on Thursday, June 18th, 600- 9:000n at the North" Huron NYescast Community Complex- Hot Stove Lounge (99 Kerr Dr) BA'YF1ELD on Saturday, June 20, 9:00am • 12:00pm at the Historical Bayfield Town Hall (11 The Square) _ EXETER on Wednesday, June 24, 600 - 9:00pm at the South Huron Municipal Office (322 Main St.) - . • SEAFORTH on Thursday, June 25, 600 - 9:00pm at the Huron East Municipal Office (72 Main St.) Ainisiropmemsehmummillsolamm•••••••sirsommemrimw PURPOSE AND EFFECT: You are invited to attend an Open House to review the proposed text and mapping changes to the Huron County Official Plan and to speak with, County staff, about any questions you may have regarding the proposed revisions. The Huron County Planning and Development Department is required to undertake a 5 -year review of the County's Official Plan, a land use planning document that is a statement of where and how development should take place. The Plan includes vision goals and policy directions for development of the County, as established by the community in 1998. and 1999. • MORA INFORMATION is available: „*. At the Huron County Planning and.pevelo (519) 524-8394 ext 3 or • On the County website: v2,23iwAsymniwolysii. DATED AT THE COUNTY OF HURON THIS 20th DAY OF MAY, 2009 Department, Goderich, Barbara Wilson, Clerk County of Huron 1 Court House Square Goderich, ON N7A 1M2 (519) 524-8394 While Gaviller said, the board "real- ly had no specific expectations" head- ing into the May 5 union and public budget sessions, she added . the board would be open to. suggestions. • "We want • the , public and . our union partners to be able to have their say," Booth said, .adding with the cur- rent state of the economy "it is not unexpected" to be facing a budget deficit. . Booth said there are "still a number of 'unknowns" with the 200940 budget because not all costs ape in, staff numbers have not been fmalized "and there's a huge dif- ferentia between the benchmarks provided by the mthistry for staffmg and actual.costs." According to die first draft of the * board's budget pre- sented yesterday, the proposed expen- diture for classroom teachers -- which includes • salaries, benefits and sup plies for 1,102.84 full-time equivalent teachers totals $101,203,104,. along with an addi- tional $2,351,120 for supply teachers and $12,950,362 for education assis- tants. Grant revenue in those three areas alone is down $3,226,401. Booth said the board is expectlng 800 fewer students for the next school year, a five per cent drop at both the ele- mentary and sec- ondary level. In 2008-09, there were 1,129.64 FTE teachers. Caviller said declining enroll- ment, excess space in schools, the board's huge rural geography . and competing priorities "continue to be a • challenge year after year when setting a • ' • Decorthe Comte DRIVEWAYS, SIDEWALKS, PATIOS, COUNTERTOPS & MORE ONCRETEPLAN, STAMPED, EXPOSED Luc now 519-528-3929 e iphyo cooed& to N uxon st4 'te ,DesIgn BM Contractors -Superior Quality Ninety Stock eir lir 3 -Interlocking Paving Stone Plea, Walkways & Driveways -Precast Retainkv Wails -Various Colours Of Armburstone and Natural•Stone -Lawn Installation (hydroseeding, mechanical seeding, sod) • -Landscape Design and Consultation Services C eck us out online! wvAv.huronlandscapirig.ca Huron Landscaping is located 1/2 mile South of Lucknow RR#2 Lucknow ON. 519-529-7247 fax: S19-529-3181. (orpormton tii 1)1,Inct 110\pli.t! 1.1.1(• 11)\ ()I. DMI.:(-1.01ZS - FOR NONIIN 111()NS Ustowel Windham 0110•119A Al111/1•11 •roVarbet ton100. The Wingham & District Hospital is calling for nominations of individuals who are interested in serving as a director on the board. Nominations for the following position will be received by the secretary, Denise Mino, up to May 27, 2009. Elections will be held for: • 2 Directors in the Central Zone (Wingham, Blyth, East Wawanosh) • 1 Director in the Western Zone (Lucknow, Kinloss, West Wawanosh, Ashfield) • 1 Director at Large (a resident in the County of Huron or Bruce within a radius of 40 km of the hospital) Term for the Directors is two years. Elections will be held at the Annual Meeting, June 10,2009. budget." Classroom com- puter spending pro- • jections total $3,270,839, with a $2,212,977 gap in funding. Other areas fac- ing large gaps between projected • costs and grant funding are profes- sional/para profes- sionals at $5,044,946, with $1,147,104 less in funding and staff development, with costs expected to be $857,958 with a $711,298 gap in funding. Another area hard hit is school office staff - at $5,036,453 and $541,609 letol in funding. • . • • • - • The board did receive some good news yesterday. On April 21, the Ministry . of Education announced a $550 million investment to improve the ener- gy efficiency • of Ontario schools. The total allocation for Bluewater schools over the twao years of the program is $4,427,934, manag- er of plant services operations Dennis Dick told trtWees. • "With an expect- ed allocation of $1,881,554 for the current year, the board will have to move quickly in order to complete any • necessary design and engi- neering and to secure the neces- sary equipment, materials and quali- fied contractors in order to complete the work and to comply with the program's time- lines," Dick said.