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Times Advocate, 1998-10-14, Page 35Wednesday, October 14. 19518 esaiter Thftties-Advocstlr Hot Topic Usborne Central school eriiployees, parents and students were surprised last week by the'school's inclusion to the Avon Maitland District School Board's list of schools to be potentially closed. Carolyn johns, chair- woman of the school's advisory council described herself as "very upset" about the decision and said parents should have been consulted. • Us.me.. on the. chopping - ByStvft Nucor •t7ME.S M wuc.AT1: S TAFi 1SXliTEtt - You can adti another meter -area school to the list" Of sch $bis that could be closed in the lace of cutbacks. • • in a revised list _of potential school .c1usurts released . by.the-Avun Maitland District School t3oard, Usburu. Central school joins Stephen liensall and McCurdy as ticltoots being considered fur closure by the board. The • board -has postponed a decision on .which schools to. until Oct. 27. Act'urdunt-to one' category un a list released front .the -. •board. one of either 11ensail, Stephen. McCurdy or Usburne could rinse. Undettthe board's plan. Usbortte .students'wuuld be sent to South Perth: Centennial. Downie, -Arthur Meigben or St. ,Marys public schools if -the sclwol closes. Exeter_public school is full. Osborne also appears in another catego-. r}: though:.meaniug it laces closure in two :...what is most - St. Marys schools dinl't feed •into south. Windsor said the- tin of ,• i' that students categories in the board's closures list. As. a' - upsetting to parentslearn better if th Huron ety are having- tun Theresult, tlu Exeter arra could 1>, )Oslo}; twig Johns slurs Avuti ,yta.itiand is' ",lust a . School also setts a hit tit -interaction between cliuoll. ' • • is "the.inhuman ty guilts'" -acs the provinceand said the bciard.s its Students, with Older- studeeitts working ltsbuasse ruflSJr a.Jim the ----- -- - threats searing. McCurdy school's ,closure would take ``a big chunk out of the conunty" By Scott Nixon -1)J AIWei.ATI V" it111tON I'Altt: — Mr(.urti} Public *hoof's • principal and advisor} council chairwoman • are. proud of limp -$1111101... . ' • Lust went: Niull,Straw and icarnt► Windsor took the 7'-A on a tiny -of the 34..000 se: fl. building that holds. 164 students. Named :atter.) A D-hfrCurth. a furrier 11. Gut'. of • !Niuvu Srntiu and 'she first person to tnakt . u s;►tcrt,sislul uirpiuti< flight in the British linipir•t:. the school Opened in 1 (AA; after beiug-an air hat►i• school. LVindsor- explains. that the school, built by Royal nval Canadian Air.l�orce in the 1950s; is unique Inuits other school~. Atnu►st nue third -of the studeiut population at McCurdyrdy is u special -needs student,, soy's straw: -The students, ice• said..art. )nilly nat.- • grated itltuihii�"st:tiaul and hi••says everyone is. to i:epted at. the school for who they tire Dile 1.7-year-oltl student: u quadriplegic describedcribed by • Straw as "mitdic:ally:fragile' _receives euuatunt .cart at the school. Straw says he=s tuncurnud .uliuut .whetrt this stu- dent aril the snverui-iithesrs.whti need n nd- ieal. attention will go if McCurdy- closes.- In addition. to .rteceeivittg • medicassistant:e :WW1 HIV UStk 1)t {ills, ehangi• beds and mus- c:1e-i uluxinf w'atet-rbteds, -the stridents receive"a total education". Windsor-said sine-ivundhei ors -w the. students will be men- tally stimulated -if McCurdy'cluses aiid the} • are forced to l o tslst:tivhnre. . malty parents pray 'simply move their ehildrun to the Straw said the, -si haul htts always tried Catholic school system insleaU of snaking (Menti lspt nd = ',tool -traditional 1111 thods of tieui:lung. A - se much time on the pus to go to Si. Marys. - . Grube 2- and 13_ class. for example. is_situttt-- Usborn.'s closure would-a)sn succi Suutl1 Ilii on •ell to -a Ian•ltarning_room'• titwhich the - District Nigh school, Johns said, becbecause.stade,tits trtryto find-wvutys -ot hrtviny- tun.._ "1Ye could have accepted it two weeks ago,",stie said.- 11 t.sburiu closes and. its students~ are Sent to St. Marys, Johns said it could atlect extra -curricular actio - ides succi as spurts because the students will be spend - snit; nture�timw un buses.. Sonic. she said\, will hive 9t)- minute bus rides in the morning and in the afternoon. • Moving;.ti.) a rev. -school will be•"ver} devuslitlittg. w- ow- kids" Johns said because they won't know -any- .body. ' • • And she added that- whilt..•--parentks of lisbcir-ne stu- dents arestrongly-active in volunteering .at. tile school; they may nut•be se.willing to volunteer at 51.:Marys schools since the schools are so fafaraway-. - She said .•' t '' • ' 'himself its "surprised and confused" at • and said the board ems. whim, she dttscribtts as upset and alluws..studeuts to ,take 1110514 Ittss;uits du' learning Usborne had been added to the irate at Usborue'S Mansion on. the fist., ` tut st:itutil hours. - - . potential closure list Ile said he had tin should hive " Why_ weren't parents ever brought into tiea:autie.it was built by idea Usbor'tie would. beOlt the -list and did ' approached parents -the discussiuits'' she "ityl►ed. • _McCurdy Inas ft lett structural Oddities. n't Irai-n-•about it until he read.it in tin. and -schools before The schools advisory council is sending 1•trat._,11 has according to what Straw says is . 1.0114°6 Ire. Press dd • Billie, doesn't want people tot2' ' eact a ing t the parents about what .Is gcnng un. Juhnti Shelter." f\Ise,. eae,h classr nun► has its. ower • about the potential closure.. hem to the " - iltlurncation home with :students lir, infor'nt- -one thing. nu other scihusrl teas a bomb - potential closure said. ,:•exit Outside. ,unlethitt} 1A'indsut di si`•ril,tts "The important thing tete realize isrthis is •'h5t ' . in terms of :,living -11461 . Johns said • a'. a good -safety feature or the ' 41)4)4)) a>review," htt said. adding that'tht• closure' - lii-v Pttotrt. Usburui• students share bus rides with sets because it: there is afire. stUdtints wut1,'t-be .list.is-stuiply "a _worst -cos" si:enario.' . !lions was also. quick to point Out the merits ofSChuols did this it woukf save the board a lilt of iniin y.. • Despite h ..sc(►uuf's -age. Straw said .Ice• s . Usbertue. illi describer( his school as a well-equipped, , She added that tisborn* has beet) denied it :great ; 'proud -4)f the Condition of the school and he modern 'facility. addu►g that the board•has invt:st.ed amount of grant mute+ because since itis wittuu 100. awl 1,1'ind5or art _q►dick:,to paint' out the nearlv.5300,0O0 in the school in the last.._two years. - kin of London, it -can't bt designated -a rural school. - computer cul:hnology'the' si:huul uses in. Usbortie also recently opened its brand, net library - -13ev Prout, Wilo now: has one daughter- in Gr. 7' at • ,atthicaitiug i.e..; students. -,. .'• ., 'which includes neve r.un)puters, new. shelves and. air Usburne and hit.~ had three other children' graduate - McCurdy. has one .computer fur ever3. tour t:ultditiuning; from the school, sand Usburue's closure woUld be a big stud.tit''at ti}c' ;;ghoul: Y1'ind,sur sans. Nitons said Usborn. has 190' students and has a liskd loss to the community. She saint.the se:tiu'ul-hits a waren adding that the average lot Avon Maitland capacity of 234. lie added that the school Could proba atmosphere with good community -support. , -_ ,: Sl;iluuls, is One rutitputist',(to ewer} tuts stu- bly holt! more if -it rearranged some of tis spac4• us. ---Silt. Satid.ruridschools play ail important part in sti►a11 dents. All the computers in the school are • and said Usborne.would Welcome more students if.stu- . communities and sand Usbortie'' closuci would'inean a 1 on it. network and Icave'a**''t-ss Cu tine ' dents: froth-clused•schoolL were sent to Usborrie. • - - • "real loss of togetheti►ess: .. - . - . .(nterntft. . He said that while -the school was.built ire 19(17: it has - :she said what is most upsetting 1U, parents _is the - `- The scitool also Ittatures a revaiuped a neer addition -because' of a lire several years ago inhumanity of tht,- situation" and said the boars( should library,where -students do their cutuputer While the board is' planning to close schools that will have approached parents and sclioolta before adding lab work. Straw -says the -library i; now , .need. expensive rel►u'vatlons in upcoming years. turns ; therm to the potential closure list. 'upon ti) Members of the public who ,would said Usburne hs: no problems with mold, asbestos or• .While Prow said she ha,n't.'spoken to her daughter like ie die resumes. or research work on the Internet and says he would'uiuntually like rel►ovations soon. - said she will want her daughter :tit go to the school . to upon .the .library to •the public on week . !1' the school .clusus+, shoos is concerned about -the that's closest to bocci* and where 'most of neer friends • ends and ett:'niuh::. - - ' ' . future of the cenotaph which sit-~ on the school's prop- will be going.' -lite school also hats its Own \vlitbsitts, "part erty'.• Everytteinetnbrance Day, hr said, ilie students Trout speaks from personal expert):0t1ft wh,eit - it of the t(►acty thitigs that tnak�• tis'piuud". of participate in a service at the cenotaph and iearit • conies to moving ,to •a nett. •Schou). •site• said whin she • the'sihuul. 1Vindsor said. ; - ondarr and catholic students. -She said if, all Crowttulg unto this hallway: paint and doesn't think the school will need any inure` yet about the potential of going to a new sc11001, she about the importance ofthe das•'s.11istury. , was in grade school shit was bused to a new school. • 11 this school closes. what happens to the cenotaph?" And. while she Said she et,eutually.adapted. "I never. hi -asked. "'Those inenwries will be erased." really felt at home there:" . - - Carolyn Johns, chairwoman o1' Usburniy's advisory And she said the 'students' quality Of education will • council, was less diplomatic than Binns. - • ' suttee if they're moved. to other schools and Ium od :4)r► extremely upset about their decision," she said into overloaded classes. • - - of the board, adding that the board's plan to sting I'ruut. though. doesn't blatue:the scute! board: dr the . Lisburne students to St..Marys is una.c:ceptable. - government bel .lase of the .4 Utbacks. she -said schools Johns• said the board's decision not to inform the have been blessed with overspending tar years.and school belere last Tuesday nights board.n►eeting about ceitbacks should be made. But. shit added..biose• cut- Usborne's inc1nsion un the list wasn't fair. backs shouldn't include closing schools. 11'incisor iuid Straw are also. concerned ' about the less to the t-lurun Park communi- ty if.MeCurdy closis. Cubs. bra►}ides. guides. 4-11:dubs. junior "fanners, church .groups and •tari:nting group'. are among the many orgatii{atiuus that use .tt)e-schuul during weekends. evenings: stud (he•"sutn- iner. The closing of McCurdy .iv'uuld take "a big chunk Out of the Community. Straw said.