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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-10-07, Page 4Possible area closures Stephen Central School To be abandoned? Stephen Central School is one of three south Huron schools that might be closed by the Avon Maidand District School Board.The Stephen Central school council is rallying to save their school. Renal! Public School What happens to the community? Closing Hensall Public School would have serious consequences for the community.The school is home to 204 stu- dents during the day and provides facilities for numerous clubs and organizations. McCurdy Public School If McCurdy closes, its 164 students will be moved to either Stephen or Usborne public schools., A public information meeting was held last week at the school to give parents and advisory council members a chanceto talk about the issues sures rounding the possible closures. T Exeter Times—Advocate School Closings Wednesday. October 7, 1 998 e boaroptlons While there exists a possibility of one of three lixeter-area schools closing, the Avon Maitland District School Board staff also has drawn up two other options which would avoid the closing of any area schools. A short summary (follows: Option A • Option A. would see: two secondary schools and six elementary schools close, with the affected students sprit. to neighbouring schools. The affected schools would be Atwood, Central Iluron Secotrdary School, Falstaff • Public_S(•huol, Mitchell District I ligh School, Morniugton • • Public School, Portia, Turnber•ry Public. School and - Vanastra.Public School. • The board document stated this option does not pro- vide the most economical use of buildings, or the use cif - the best educational facilities. Option B • Option B would keep the board's secondary school buildings in use, which according to the board are the buildings with the better infrastructure. In this plan, stu- • dents from Central Iluron. and Stratford Central sec- ondary schools would be dispersed to other schools. while a Targe number of elementarystudents would be sent to those schools, which would be' converted to ele- mentary schools. Option C ',Option (:. is the option which calls for one of McCurdy, Stephen .and public schools to close. • This option, according to the document, will eliminate the board's excess rapacity, but will utilize "the best and must economical -to -maintain of the district's School buildings. respects commurdty and natural boundaries. -ensures a full program in each school .... and considers the increased busing time needed for students. :Under' this proposal, the following schools would be closed: *one of three South !loran schools, l'urriberry. Atwood; .Seaforth, Walton, Vanastra, Clinton, Colborne, Mitchell, Mornington, Kira Lear, Juliet, Falstaff, Portia and South Perth Centennial public; schools. The board's. director of education Lorne Hachlis did not return phone calls to -the 7'-A on Monday. , Stephen Central parents rallying to save their school By TimEsAnvix:ATE STAFF CI3fiDIToN -- Why Stephen Central?, , That's'(he question parents of stu- dents attending Stephen Central School, are asking the Avon Maitland District School Board over their " school 'appearing on a list .with icCurdy Public and 1I dnsall Public; schools for potential closUre. One of the three schools is slated to close in a board 'adn)inistration plan to. inept . provincial mandates concerning school efficiency (sere related story on these two pages). Members of Stephen (:entral's schaol'counc:il (made up of parents) are even more confused over why their school is on the closure list after ye ",Friday's Meeting with lluro►i•MPP ne llelen Johns at Exeter town hall: Stephen Central school counc:il re president 'Deb Lord said her delega- tion was presented with conflicting tnunt information froJohn's on.Friday tea 'co?npared with whit the school ' ins board has. told them so far. She said ' to d it is difficult to know which side:to "1 'believe and that leaves children dra caught in the middle of the struggle. :Sn "Shocked and dismayed," was how p)e Lord described her't:duncil's feelinks list when they learned their school %i/as "lots on the board'; potential closure list. "'1' "We had no inkling till the board issu meeting on Sept. 21." With Stephen Central's'siud occupancy rate hovering between 90 per cent, over the last coupl years, lord fuels there•is another son Stephen is targeted for poten :losure. people panic," Snell said.: ".this will rent not be a decision made in secret. We 85- are all going to make sure that this is . e of the least distressful we can make this r ea- for the children." - - • • tial Lord said her council, as well as the board, are encouraging parents to the write the Ministry of Education to rd) plead with the government to change re its policy. The parents will also be rd asked to write letters to board trustees and any other source that ill • could help Stephen'Central get off the ris closure list. • La While much of their questions Will 10 _be aitned at board trustees and staff, cif ' the council's ire is also directed at the nt provincial government. "Our feeling is that the 'fair funding' "I feel it's because we.are in southern region and (the boa needs to clean up some squa footage for the central part," Lo said. Stephen Central principal nob Sn said school enrolment is at 269 tI year and its capacity is 305. La year's enrolment was 286, an all tin high since he started at the scho four years ago when the enrohne was 243. Snell said the nunnbe prove school- enrolment Iluc'tuate • `th rs ar by year though forecasts for th xt few years show enrolnient wi main near constant - hell said the news their schoc ty close has not changed nioramin ch aiming his staff, adding th Tilers are too busy with stud' ruction and curriculum change well on the issue. t has been discussed but it isn't gging anyone'doWn," he said. ell added it is important for peo- to remember the potential ,closure is a proposal and there will be of opportunity for public; input." he thing 1 fear most is. that the e becomes more than it is...thhat government has brought down e isn't fair for rural schools," Lord said. II Lord said a petition is circulating - throughout the community and it, ►I along with letter examples' and post-' I cards, will be availablefor the public e ata special schoolcouncil meeting at - nt Stephen Central tonight at: 7:30 p.m. South flown board trustee !lob Allan is expected to be at the meeting. • • If the school does close. Lord said it will be an end to a 'wonderful' corn- . triunity school. , "1t's,definitely going to break' up the. community," she said, adding those who were thinking of moving to the area will.think twice if they will have Please see STEPHEN page I I rustee hoof c says school ► closures just under review By Craig Bradford NES -ADVOCATE STAFF SOUTH. I{UHON -- - Avon Maitland District School - Board trustee Bob Allan reminds people no ono has asked principals for their keys yet when it comes to potential schyol closures in south 1lurori. Well, not yet. A public elementary school in one of three cconlmuni- ties, 1Jenson .(Llensall Public), Huron Park (McCurdy Public) or Stephen Township (Stephen Central) could bo closed by the school board under a staff proposal to sleet provincial goals when it comes to school efficiency. 13ut Allan said the recommended plan the board is considering is subject to- approval and "'nay have fur- ther modifications." 'Me :board was expected to hear from many delega- tions on the school closure list at a special' meeting to deal with the issue at Stratford Northwestern high school yesterday after press. ."Though he wouldn't speculate 00 'an outcome, Allan , said the plan' could be accepted, rejected: modified or . even deferred by the board. The province wants the board to file a repor=t including decision's on how to achieve school usage goals by Dec. :31. The original deadline of Sept. 1 has already been put back once, and %Allan fuels a postponement may happen again. "We feel this time frame is unacceptable," Allan said: Though he "agrees totally.' kith concerned patents who'don't want any schools 10 close, Allan saki the -clo sure list is a necessary evil. "Front the board pons; orview it's mutant ,to deter- rlline which schools will be r•evreived,"• he said "Studying it doesn't sa% to -,• i .)in. -ter-happen. what1 was anxious about was Ilia r c aur .,nation got out to • the people. I would lissom,. t. hen the discussion is opened up to comet,'thcomet,'ity all options. will be looked at." . • Allan also "absolutely" agrees with parents that more • inforination needs 'to come out for study before any .. decisions are made. Allan admitted sono.. people at the board level are finding how the province docs business difficult to swal- low. ' "I would say (here is a good deal of f'rustratio(i and pressure,".Ise said about the recent provincially -mak. dated school board merger. "It's very difficult fi►r us to: • pull together good data from the province." Allain was quick to .point out he'wrsn't t'ritirizing the province, adding the recent 1000(115 have been difficult ler• Ontario bureaucrats as well. W ten .told many parents think more fat can be cut from the beard's head office and non-classrcui'n staff.' Allan said it was a c'oninng) refrain that'nay_ or may not hold merit. • "Both former boards were seen as pretty frugal with this compared %vith the rest of the province," he said. "Maybe when we get more settled we can do more in that area."