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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1983-01-19, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, January 19, 1983 Increasedlosis, dediain- tommilmoni cited as education 11 II Increased costs and decreased student population are the challenges,facing the 1983 Hurpn County Board of Education while it maintains the present level of operations. Board chairman Dorothy Wallace outlined these and other items the board will have to deal with in the com- ing year in her inaugural ad- dress at the board's Jan. 10 meeting. A look at the mill rate shows an. estimated 17 per- ' cent increase, which doesn't include the recent increase of employer contributions to the Canadian Pension Plan and Unemployment Insurance of about 40 percent. Mrs. Wallace said personnel rela- tions administrator Peter Gryseels attempted to project the local education mill rate increase. To do so he made certain assumptions, that the grant increase (from the Ministry of Education) would,be five percent, that the secondary enrolment would decline, as anticipated, so that our total grant revenue would increase by only four percent. "He assumed an inflation rate of 10 percent on our pur- chases, that the seven percent To wait and see. about trustee pay A trustee on the Ifuron- Perth School Board tried once again to have trustees' honorariums reduced without success. Stratford Trustee Ronald Marcy asked if the trustees' honorarium should be rolled hack to a five percent in- crease at the board's Jan. 10 meeting. The previous board increas- ed the wages effective Dec. 1 to $200 from $180 representing an approximate 12 percent increase. "1 feel something should be done," commented Marcy. Superintendent of business and finance Jack Lane said the board had not yet receiv- ed any worksheets from the provincial government on which the salary increases would be filed. He said a report would he made to the board once dhe documents were received. Marcy had asked the previous board to roll back the increase to five percent but it was left to the discretion of the new board. "Would it not show a good example if we rolled it hack to five percent?" asked Trustee Louis Maloney. Trustee Tim McDonald pointed out the honorarium .should have been at $200 before, last fall. Lane added that when honorariums were based on the amount of students in a school system, - Huron -Perth's maximum figure was $200 per month. Since last fall school boards were able to set the incoming board's rate. with no limits. The present board may not in- crease trustees' honorarium, but it may roll the stipend back. The board will take a wait and see approach. In other business. the board was introduced to Brian An- nable who will be working two days a week as superinten- dent of education Annable is principal at St. Mark's Secon- dary School in Kitchener. On loan from the Waterloo Separate School Board, the Huron -Perth Board will be billed for any expenses incur- red by Annable during his time here. The extra ad- ministration help was re- quired because superinten- dent of education John McCauley is filling in while director of education William Eckert recovers from a mild heart attack. The board approved a re- quest from Justin Tomasulo of St. Mary's Separate School, Hesson to be in the .teacher funded leave plan. For four years Tomasulo will receive 80 percent of hig salary and then the fifth year, which he will have off, he will receive the held -back pay. M'arch of kicks off Monday is the "kick-off" date for the 1983 Ability Fund campaign for the Ontario March of Dimes. The campaign chairman for the district is Janie McDowell assisted by Bev McGregor. A team of more than 40 lioness volunteers will be call- ing on homes in this area. Please make them welcome, turn on your porchlights and give as generously as you can. Remernber the Ontario March of Dimes' slogan is, "We Can't Heli) Without Your Help." The Ontario March of Dimes face an enormous job. Hundreds of people become disabled through accident or diseases each year. For .some, disability strikes in the prime of life when they are building careers or raising families. Then there are peo- ple who were born with disabilities who need help as they reach adulthood. There are also many who face disability for the first time when they reach old age. When disability strikes, the rintario March of Dimes is there to help a person discover their new potential and their abilities. The organization offers: employ- ment and job training; wheelchairs, electronic aids • and other devices; medical clinics; camping holidays; sales tax would continue and that there would be a man- datory five percent increase in salaries", said Mrs. Wallace. "The net effect of those Calculations shows an in- crease in expenditures ap- proaching nine percent, of revenue from the province of four percent, with thernesul- tant increase in the local levy of nearly .17 percent. "Not contained in that 17 percent is the latest bad news. The federal government has increased the complusary employer contributions to CPP and UIC by about 40 per- cent. This means 5260 per employee or a total of $200,000 for this board," noted the chairman. On the positive side, Mrs. Wallace stated that according to Ministry of Education statistics, "we have been able to maintain our buildings at a functional - although not perhaps at as aesthetically pleasing level as they might be - at a cost well below that of many other boards." "Our schools are the most energy efficient in Southwestern Ontario. This is due to a program of increas- ed insulation, reduced heat loss and heat conservation," said the chairman. She did warn trustees to ex- pect increased maintenance costs as most of the buildings were built in the 1960s. Mrs. Wallace also pointed out that the cost of energy will rise Dimes Monday assistance for groups of disabled people with how to better represent themselves on issues affecting their everyday living - in fact, a whole range of services which help physically disabled men and women to help themselves. Over three-quarters of a millionpeoplein Ontario are disabled and, sooner or later, every family is touched by disability to some degree. Your gift to the Ontario March of Dimes could offer help that is very close to home. When the March of Dimes' volunteers knock on your door, please give generously. Remember, "We Can't Help Without Your Help." Businesses Continued from front page -make a big issue of it. Let them (merchants) go through the complaint procedure", commented Trustee John Jewitt, noting the students should be given encouragement. Trustee Tony McQuail said the whole matter should be referred to a board commit- tee. He also added that the whole concept of internal generation of revenue should Iv Investigated especially in t ese times of financial restraint. and at a rate considerably above the grant increases. "The increased cost of energy is having its effect on all boards. In a recent survey of the 44 boards in Southwestern Ontario, 33 revealed that they were unable to operate at below the ministry's transportation ceil- ing. Huron is still among the 11 which can, but b ver lit- tle," noted Mrs. Wallace. She went on to say the board has fewer students to transport, but the same miles to cover at an ever increasing cost per mile. "With fewer students, some inventories can be reduced, eg. the number of typewriters, but a certain complement of equipment must be maintained if the i schools are to operate. Almost all grants are paid on a per student basis while the cost of supplies continue to escalate at an 11 to 13 percent rate. And on top of that is the seven percent sales tax," the chair- man said. The chairman said night and summer school continue to operate in Huron County but at reduced levels "The remedial elementary summer school is in jeopardy for this summer unless parents are willing to pa substantially higher fees,' added Mrs. Wallace. On enrolment, Mrs. Wallace noted. that the elementary level "appears to have stabalized for over the next three years at about 6,700 childr " en. REFRESHMENTS FOR THE WORKERS --Blanche Stewart, left and Dorothy S� the right are dishing out doughnuts and hot choco!ate to Girl Guides Deanne Ballantyne, Elizabeth Coates and Leanne Rooth at the con- clusion of Saturday's bottle drive. T -A photo "The decline continues, however, in the secondary panel and we will likely lose 300 students during that time. It will stabalize in 1985 at about 3,400 students. This estimate may be upset in our favor by more students retur- ning to school due to economic conditions as it was this past year," said Mrs. Wallace. "In spite of gloomy predic- tions, Mr. (Robert) McCall (superintendent of prograrh) hammers away at improving the state of program in our system," said Mrs. Wallace. There will be implementa- tion and review of secondary education due to the report on Renewal of Secondary Educa- tion in Ontario announced recently by education Minister Dr. Bette Stephenson. Changes in course content will have to be implemented following board reviews in Core French -Grades 3 to 6, English -Grades 7 to 10, science -Grades 7 to 10, math - kindergarten to Grade 6 and Grades 7 to 10 and language arts -kindergarten to Grade 6. Curriculum reviews in language arts and social studies -kindergarten to Grade 6 will be completed this year. Mrs. Wallace also main- tained there will be work to do in the area of technology changes and'the ad hoc com- mittee on technical education will be presenting its findjngs to the board later this year. The continued implementa- tion of Bill 82 or special educa- tion will be done under the direction of special education superintendent D.R. Miller said Mrs. Wallace. The chairman also made mention of working to im- prove communications within the board system. "We shall proceed with pro- bing the problem of improv- ing communication begun in our November seminar. The first step will be to meet the principals' representatives, study their recommendations and bring a report to the board," said Mrs, Wallace. HELIUM BALLOONS ...Just For The Fun Of it GOLifitTy: PlowePs EXETER 235-2350 9 .1111110.11 BOTTLE SORTERS Girl Guides and Boy Scout leaders Elaine Kestle, Bruce Eccles, Soren Petersen and Ken Baker were in charge of the sorting department during Saturday's successful bottle drive in Exeter. T -A photo Want lawyer to conier over Exeter fax stance The Huron County Board of Education will have its lawyer speak to the Town of Exeter's lawyer over that town's decision to withold the education portion of Exeter's uncollected taxes. At its Jan. 10 meeting the board agreed to have its lawyer, the legal firm of Don- nelly and Murphy of Corterjch, get in touch with Exeter's lawyer. The decision follows receipt of a resolution from Exeter to the board. The resolution is as follows: "that the Board of Education should bear some of the burden for taxes un- collected due to poor economic conditions. Now therefore be it resolved that the Town of Exeter withold the education portion of Ex- eter taxes uncollected as of last due date December, 15, 1982, until such times as the Town is able to collect these." Director of education John Cochrane said the lawyers could "sort out the matter". Exeter clerk -treasurer Elizabcrth Bell said that as of Dec. 31 the hoard of educa- tion's portion of the un- collected taxes is *37,000. UP TO Tables, Lamps, Sofas, Chairs, Bedding,OccasionalChairs, Bedroom Suites, Diningroom Suites, Technics Stereos, Carpets, Sewing Machines, Etc.