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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1984-05-30, Page 3CL NTON NEWS-HECOBD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 30,1.984 --PAGE 3 dents speak out on Vanastra school fat • from page 1 . tjiat the school .needs 50- to 55 more students, according to the Huron County Board of Education's stipulations. According to the Ministry of Education staap�.d.�ards, the school needs 59.5 per cent more students. "There are no other schools available to accommodate all of our students," she said. "The highest is Hensali who can allow for 74 more students." The committee member told the audience that Vanastra has a.population of 650 people. She said this includes both residential, commercial and industrial dwellers. There are 58 townhouses in the village and about 50 per cent are in use. She also mentioned three apartment buildings in the area. "Unfortunately Vanastra has a bad reputation," she said. "But because there is lower housing available here, more and more newlyweds are moving in with younger children who would eventually enroll in the school." She said there are 128 eligible pupils in Vanastra; 98 attend the Vafiastra school and 35 attend Clinton Public School where Grade 7 and 8 education is offered. (Vanastra Public School offers studies up to the Grade 6 level) . Ms. Rathwell said that though the community is a fragmented one, the children are free to participate in school activities both during school and after school (because they live within the community): According to the committee member, the school is the only available library source to the community. "This helps to initiate the younger pre- schoolers to books at an earlier age," she noted. Ms. Rathwell said the school's playground is an extention of the students' interaction. In the summer months when the school is closed, the facililty is still in constant use. She, said the school has helped the students to develop a sense of community. "Vanastrahas the potential for growth, and if this, growth is realized the school would have to reopened," she stressed. The committee member added, "Both residents and businesses in Vanastra feel the school is theirs." Mr. Ross Munroe explained the school's need for structural repairs. He said there were two major expenses; $44,000 for a boiler and $65,000 for roof repairs. He said it would cost a further $56,000 for Window conversions and there would be another cost for new exit doors. Improved plumbing will cost $4,000 as will a superior eLectrical system. He said the cost for restored flooring would be $3,000. "It will cost a total of $165,632 for all these changes," he said. Mr. Munroe told the audience the school' would require certain operating expenses which would include custodial services. • "All together, we are looking at about $194,000 within the first few years," he noted. • Ms. Gloria Burt spoke of how the community could utilize the facililty. She, said that because the school's grade 7 and 8 . pupils attend 'school in Clinton, they are unable to participate in extra -curricular activities there because they are bussed to the town. She suggested that if the students were to attend Vanastra Public School they could participate in the activities within their community. She also mentioned a difficult trasion.for the students• who have to attentwo schools before highschool, "Don" forget, the school is also a sideline branch.pf the Huron County Library," she said. "The adults benefit from this because the library iswithin walking distance.' She sand the school also contains a health unit and parents and children can benefit from the resident health • unit staff.She said there was office space available, and space available for clubs and organizations. She mentioned the space now being utilized by Conestoga College, and the additional space available for them or any other institute. The committee member said there was plenty of storage space available for central warehousing. Also, the front parking lot could be reassigned and the back could be painted with. lines for hopscotch or any other game. Chairman of the committee, Graeme Craig, gave a financial analysis of the situation. He said Conestoga College rent their area for $34,000 and transportation for students away from Vanastra would cost approximately $34,500; almost $33,000 to Clinton Public School. He recommended the Huron County Board of Education agree to have what is now Vanastra Public School demolished, and have what space is available from Conestoga College utilized as new space for the public school. He suggested the board buy the space for a nominal fee and bring back the Grade 7 and 8 students to "be educated here." He said if Conestoga College wish to continue offering adult education here they should go the Huron Board of Education. Mr. Craig said the cost for the school's demolition would be approximately $10,000. A member from the audience asked if the board was aware that Ontario has an expropriation act where they can take the property from Conestoga College at a price the community can afford. Mr. Craig said he was not aware of this but they'would look into the possibility. He said that by demolishing the school's present area, they 'are trying to compromise by cutting down the heating system and the roof area. . Another member from the audience asked if the roof over the Conestoga College area. was satisfactory. Mr. Munroe, committee member in charge of determining the cost of ,0 0 repairs, said this roof would also need some major repairs, The committee was also asked how long it would take to implement all their ideas. Mr. Craig said he was not sure, but a decision would have to be made soon, because if the board chose to close the school, it would have to be closed in a year. He added that a decision would have to be made by September. Huron County Board of Education trustee, Frank Falconer was asked his opinion on the school closing. He said he was very disapointed the Vanastra citizens had gone above the board to Ministry of Education head Bette Stephenson. "Bette Stephenson will just close it (the school)," he said. He said it was his hope, "We endeavor to buy this building." Mr. Craig said that by judging from enrolment figures m other area schools, no school would be able to take all the students from Vanastra, "And we don't want to have to deal with splitting students," he said. The chairman said the committee had not considered where they were going to send each individual student. "A lot of people here are worried about the adjustment of their own children to new schools," stressed an audience member. The committee was asked that if the school was forced to close where would the students be bussed. The chairman said that Vanastra adults were surveyed; 31 preferred their children be bussed to Clinton and 81 preferred Huron Centennial School in Brucefield. He said the students were also surveyed and 10 chose Clinton Public School while 23 chose Huron Centennial. Mr. Falconer said that if the issue arose, the school would be determined by where the child lived. He said the question of where to bus children has always been determined by boundaries. "I would like to say that my husband and i would have never bought a house here if we knew there wasn't a school for our children," said a woman in the audience. "I feel that though the financial situation is important, it must be stressed that the welfare of the student and especially the quality of education is far more important," said another member of the audience. The review committee will present their findings to the Huron County Board of Education on June 4 at the board office. The meeting is open to the public. , ' Accident injures ;woman HOLMESVILLE A single vehicle accident here on May 25' sent a .Goderich area. woman to hospital - with serious injuries. The Goderich OPP reported that Beverly Dalton;: 19, of 194 Bennett St.,, Goderich was a passenger' in a car driven by Paul Lamb, 19, of RR 4 Goderich when the accident occurred. The vehicle was northbound 'on Highway 8 when it entered the west ditch and rolled over. Lamb was uninjured in the mishap. The 1981 Chev he was driving .received $7,000 damage. No injuries A Clinton -area youth escaped injury wiz n the car he was driving left the road and struck a tree. . The Goderich OPP reported that on May 27. Michael Smith of RR ,1 Clinton was northbound on County Road 8, north of Highway 4 when the vehicle left the road and struck a tree. The 1979 Chrysler he was driving sustained $2,000 in damages. Summer's corning! Out with the old - and in with the new during Pete's T.V. - Magnavox DE -IN --DAYS. - 00 YOUR OLD SET IS WORTH X1 00 • when you trade it In on any MAGNAVOX 20" REMOTE CONTROL PORTABLE COLOR TV Magnavox Trade-in days aro on for the month Of June YOUR OLD SET IS WORTH $200. • when you trade it in on any new MAGNAVOX 26" REMOTE CONTROL CONSOLE COLOR TV YOUR OLD. SET IS WORTH $75 • when you trade it in on any new MAGNAVOX 20" PORTABLE COLOR TV 11000000 1X1110 inl�r u} "n, �In AVIA m 11111 19.11 IIS' X111i111r111 laa ETES 213 VICTORIA ST. T.V. 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