HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-11-04, Page 18N►Y1rxe�Qttt. \utralbet 4 199t4
Community
School board backs down on closure list but will
begin financial study into all Avon Maitland schools
Huru1 MPP Helen. Johns speaks to a crowd of approxitrtately 500 yeople at
St'-atiurds northwestern Secondary School on- Oct. 27 during•an Avon Martiand
District Scnoct Board meeting Johns said the province isnt {orcin€ the board tc
cause schools and said the board will inJact'recesve More funding ''firs year. than
its predecessors did last year.
By Scott Mimi
-•
f-lTt;,\'fKUlt1) i'areiits uud slutit:nts
cul' ertned about tiltlt� :.ghouls t:11!Sing
call' ,;.''it .t 11[11 a, lithe While.
1't‘'d of 21 1 11 11 11(1 50t) left
t
+Northwe;stter n t.)eciiit(tii,rt
;r'tluu''
leeling ! a ins happier its. Ut:t 'L
tit ! ru::tta�� in ' ilc ,fit fin 1vtuttlund
District tici►ui i t:uurd. “it - d uuitttti-
iuuusft it il;uure i Uua(lllue tit Dire
t1[ decide on Closint schools. The. board
will- however, begin a financial :audt
title ell. 51i of its schools.
And white parents lots the meeting.
satisfied. board chairwoman Abby
Armstroug cautioned them. • 'lu• work
t over Ke've juts begun.'' she said.
there is still ntut:h work lei be_. dune
;unarrning-,t:tiuol funding -and if -that
.work islet done • nut' seltmils will
close." ,
The meeting. which ine1itded 22
speakers. often grew emotionalist; par-
ents were fighting to keep their dial-
(iron s schools open.
Jutl►ue bongull. speaking for
Lisburne (-Antral Sithuul ;aid "1't:ar and
frustration'. wut'e• the biggest leelings
among the People of Usborue . ecause
they weren't involved n) the, beard'.
original discussions un closures.
Dougall dtis'uribod Lisburne's good
•puutts. such at, its newly renovated
library and 'tt.5 virtual classroom and
,said its pr.uxitnity to the. Ausable
batvfitstd Conservation Authority is also
' u benefit tu.students. . '
Bussing Usborne students to St.
Marys. as proposed b3 ilii' boardwill
be tattoo to the children
Millis is neither buil nor '-culistu."
she -Said of the 90-nt,tsute Lu, .t,ides
students would hitt •Lt take et"t•ry
uwriting and` alt ertit ou • it, tlte•► � e're
bussed, til Si Mur vs
•
Lion ;idi urged the hoard d but to: cave
gover•nnleatt Pressure and give Lilt
stud., mini tune SIte'said the potent:,potent:,o! t bornWilling ore to work with the
suited,, to figure put what Wde about
funding pro lain . - .
Shouna Bakt ' of 5Lepttt•ti .(;.tettt.e•u4
Public Schutt ;a .the heard should he
in nu hurry ,to t: uyila•.a closure lis.,
-Wit t have till t e. time in tate world
baker 'also c ri Lic:t�ed , iLte Ward for
spending S•1 million uu new otht;t iu
Seaford' tend ut td thi "1'hauie+s ,vttllei
District School urd u tut example of
s
r
id
ut
h
Bo
ion
school- that suecesstul'h' reacted to
cutbacks without closing schools.
"Might i suygust right now that you-
-Worn
ou--Itsar,n to live within your budget" she
asked. ,•
Ptit--U'Kuurke. wise. of Stephen. said
the board's tltreuts to close- schools
resulted in "u month of total cQntu- •
stun" and said ,the only reason the
truth. was gettingnut about the putieu-
tiul closures was because of pressure
from the parents. u. • . .
He .accused the board of not tisttitiing •
to parental concerns and ,said. ") uu
haveattempted to lead us intu sume-
titing that is appalling."
lie predicted if Stephen closes par-
-buts will simply tttpvt+ their children
into the Catholic school syr teat,'
Karen N'indt.or of Mc•Curd1 Public
School said she was ,proud tif. her
sc:hc►ol and said the school has. ti strong
special education department , ;•
14'ttile
she said she rea.lir.es issue.
of closing Yrh(►ois i . bigger tfi.an an)
.one. !.caiui►1' she said "there is no curn-
prutu.ise hen * it comt+s.lo cur. chiJ-
dren' and urged parer)ts to fight
together agatite.-t ':ctii►c►1 closures.
"Uttitt:d 'v - w,� .he y1 f t►>2g.' . tl'indsor
Said
�t►a 1LLS( XU1 t'' entire aUdter)t-.►-'to
stand .by reading'. out :the t) tn. t;` of
ytitet1.1.iLtl1-ef1tectrd tcticrri!.. 'he also
called fur t1 'tw v -t $.ar iriura.u'rsur1J ti,n
lite
review ul '~afoul clottures '
lluru:rt MPY Neter', Jot,ri Spoke to
cf►+.+t rs Iruttt tnt'trtber's
reading fruit') u letter she riet,en ed frvtri
1..duc.atlor, Minister !Jute Jotuourt. SJ1e
its;0. tttt At o:rt Mttit(diid' JJvurd wi1J
u'itual+t 1,e tmcen'trtk �. rrtl)1to11. frJy1
tt, fundrttg fhail-it: pf►ede►.easor•s the
1•lur,uti and Perth boards received i!J -
1997,
JC►Lui also said r'eviewJrig closures is
•
v srhe►ol board dter'itsivi, riot a gvsi•r-r)--
ttiettt Qttt'rtilUtt. -
' t'4tt•',1ett.rr atti:td '.1.)aNIug r),i. F..
ne
csa,ptiUit1 w'i1 Wit tttipac't the ratrulatjvr;
c►i ti.tt1 'other grwtbs ' ''
. Johns- oft0-.:ed to sit down Vi Ith the,
board said the parent, to r►'view the
tintiul.:rs .
Ys.riti Mi'1 13e•rt Johnson
cert►ue:d Joittt rt•ttntcrka -
• . Muur-►e.'n 'Agtcr. zi okes ' ointen fur
Seu titt,b tittd- District .High 'c.htivl,
uc eased ttu board of having ar.i obses-
sion with- closttiX schools arid -said
titer'{ 'cert' L�v 11.1,21.1r)atat111111str21,1vs in
the *new .At vu Mttitiattd .bva.rd : She also
prey►ettted director of, adulation 1.oi"ne
Kat:ittis a pink 'slip. telling-JtMii, fit isit t
what student, aid patents won't or
Bette
S cat to tints. i1tc l -u dii»i.1hvaf
'froth titanschools named ()tribe
Atvn Maitland potential closure list.
did not asttu:.t' iwar(1'WUslees. -
.) rustttt had 1 vi -d told tile audience.
atter %utit)g btta.►nst tettc•urrert,'-Stud)
'to ,close SC1L1101S. "I take• ifr't'al uffeii'i
lu yt:upli' riuuring duwu tont adtl)inis
tratiun.' , -
• I rustee flub Allan. who presented
tice tuutivn• to disregard the J)ec. 3l
deadline and begin a fipatiriaJ study
Tutu all schools in the board. argued
the board's potential t'lysure list was
t.ituoll and said 'some cuwweuts -lrwii
tt1,e audience were inappropriate. .
"Pleas} dut)'t ever:do that again,' he
urged the audience.
•
•
1 r J�tee Atje Tuyten-'sasid the audi-
enc r- s outbursts. against the board
wen- 1 nece ssan .
--You're preachin
'g.tu the converted
• you're trying to shoot they mes‘en•
ger. We have ni choice.'
Chairwoman Abbe Armstrong said
despite the comments from Johns and
Johnson she .still 'belie\ es there -isn't as
rrruch monei available for the board
this tear as there utas last.)ear and
said the. board is definitely financially
in ur• ,i' off than it was last } ear
She added none of the trustr•4s
-would be on the board if they didn't
care for th'- ,quality !if education chil=-
dren f'rrr-n t
New trustee for --
North Perth elected
at meeting
by Midide Greene
STRATFOKD - MI areas of the i
Avon Maitland school district were j
represented when trustee% held a
controversial vote on ,school do -
sures.
Donald J3rillinger of Listowel,j
'was ttppui'nted -to the board i
October Z7 to repreeetlt the' area
of North Perth. Ile' cwt 'bis vote �•
W11.03 trusts unanimously agreed - .1
to
•clobe n.u'schools in Huron and
Berth counties Last 'Tuesday "night
in titratterd. ' .
A 27 -yeas resident: of Listowel;
l3rillinger retired in June 096'
after .a 36. -year teaching career".
Fur 25 year'•s,.h* taught in eieinep-
tttry and secondary schools 9f the
former -Perth County Board of
P./ducat-ion:
- following the meeting, members
of the pubic thanked bit» for his
.vote and told him, he was a brave
wan to join the wheel board at
.such s icutilU uyerstei tante. ' •
Sriliibger said be witnessed
seven major changes in' .education
dosing his.tet+<ching'career.
"This is ttnother A:hauge. But
now I'm in a position to do some-
thing ialwtxt it; he said.
i3* il.lumet,' was appointed tullvw-.
ing the resi,gnAttiun .ut' former
'wog.* t'hili.p gauu garters. 11 is a
4btr4)14"ai' apppinlntent until the
�eikd of1 is bow':d's 1rrin• The next.
aawiticpAti a ecUun i+riJJ be held in
tioveiniaor 4000.