Times Advocate, 1999-10-13, Page 44
Exeter Ti
Wednesday, October 13 1999
Adjustments will have to be made if schools are closed
By Stew Slater
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE
Changes are coming.
As it considers closing schools in Huron and Perth
counties, the Avon Maitland District School Board is
looking closely at the recent decision by the
provincial ministry of education to change Ontario's
high school curriculum from five years to four
years. •
Board staff provided this insight at a meeting Oct.
5 at Seaforth District High School.
According to advance billing, the information
presentation on school accommodation was
designed to give trustees and the public bard -and -
fast numbers pointing to the need to close schools.
Superintendent of business Janet Baird -Jackson
delivered the lion's share of the information,
concentrating mainly on declining enrollment
numbers, new provincial funding formulae, and
their effects on board finances.
But superintendent of edu'ation Geoff Williams
was handed the microphone part-way though the
evening and spoke about issues that sometimes
ranged far from the "school accommodation" subject
area.
His main point was major adjustments will have to
be made at the. Grade 7 and 8 levels as a result of
the new four-year high school curriculum,
and those changes might as well be made
in conjunction with decisions about school
closures.
"Whole science topics which were
previously taught in the high schools, like
optics and cell biology, are now going to be
taught in Grade 7 and 8," Williams said
during his presentation. More specialized
math and guidance sections will also be
taught in those grades, he added.
He suggested many of the new topics call
for specialized teachers and equipment,
which are now sometimes only available in
Avon Maitland's secondary schools. .
And though he offered several options
for dealing with this challenge —
including having several schools for
kindergarten through Grade 6, with all
students attending a central school for
Grades 7 and 8 before continuing on to
high school — it was obvious the board's
preference is to move Grade 7 and 8
students into existing high schools, and
possibly close some of the elementary
schools which would lose senior students.
Such a solution was suggested last year
during the board's failed attempt to tackle
the school closure issue. At that time, it
met with opposition from parents who
feared the effects of a high school
environment on their Grade 7 -aged
children.
Even during trustee's questioning
following Tuesday's presentation, trustee
Abby Armstrong noted the difficulties this
solution would cause if it wasn't
POLICE BRIEFS • POLICE BRIEFS
Pickup stolen from
Andex
EXETER — Sometime between Oct. 9-10 a
pickup truck was stolen from Andex Metal
Products on Thames St. in Exeter.
The '95 white Ford Ranger has licence
plate #ZP7553 and has orange 'Andex' writ-
ten on the doors.
Golf ball picker
picked
GRAND BEND — Someone plucked
Oakwood Inn driving range's golf ball picker.
The machine was taken from the golf club
located just north of Grand Bend on Hwy. 21
sometime since Oct. 1. The green picker is 10
feet wide.
Huron Park thele
•
HURON PARK -- Thieves made off with'six
coin sets worth $250 after an Oct. 11 break-
in at the Huron Park Canada Post office.
London OPP Cowl. Doug Graham said
entry was gained by smashing a north side
window. Several parcels were also opened
but no mail is missing.
implemented simultaneously across the board.
But Williams and director of education Lorne
Rachlis assured trustees this year's public
consultation process will allow parents to see the
wisdom in such decisions and assured Armstron
any decisions on curriculum and closure would
come only after carehtl consideration.
After the meeting, Williams insisted the curriculum
information was formulated independently from the
board's examination of school closures. But he also
admitted his recommendations fit squarely into the
board's belief it needs to close schools.
"If it can coincide that the two changes need to be
made, and we can facilitate one change while
making the other (change), then that's great," he
said. "I admit that having the accommodation stuff
happen at the same time may, in fact, help us (make
curriculum changes)."
Baird -Jackson's portion of the presentation made it
clear the board intends to follow through on school
closures.
Her figures showed declining enrollment and
changing government funding calculations could
mean the board would have $600,000 less ..in.=its
2000-2001 b fidget than it had a year ago.
If that de asing money continues to be used to
maintain and support the same number of school
buildings and stair, she suggested, the quality of
those schools and staff *111 suffer.
Also displayed was a graph showing how many
hoots have been closed recently by various other
tarso school boards. Among them, the Ottawa-
arleton board and Waterloo board each closed five
schools, and both are consId ring more closures.
In Toronto, a recent report called for the closure of
a maximum of 10 schools per year for the next three
years.
"Quite frankly, 1 believe we're overspending by
keeping more buildings open than we have students
to support,' Rachlis said as he introduced the
session.
A schedule of board meetings through February
2000, released at the information session, shows the
-board hopes to name a list of schools to be studied
further for possible closure on Tues., Nov. 23.
Taking into account a provincially -decreed two-
month public consultation period and the need to
decide on school closures before finalizing the 2000-
2001 budget, the schedule suggests the board aims
to announce recommendations for school closures at
a meeting Tues., Feb. 22.
The document . also makes special notice of the
possibility of additional meetings in February to
accommodate additional public delegations.
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