Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1970-09-17, Page 12PAGE TWELVE ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1970 McKillop Rural Schools Will Disappear Although the Huron County Board of Education heard the varying viewpoints of about 100 McKillop ratepayers at their meet ing in Clinton Tuesday evening, members later agreed to move forward with plans to build an addition to Seaforth Public School to accommodate McKillop student Members of the administrative staff of the Huron Board of Educat- ion as well as Mrs. Mollie Kunder, Seaforth; John Henderson, Mc- Killop; and possibly Don McDon- ald whose family attends the Wal- ton school, will go to Toronto to seek the very best accommodation possible for the McKillop students. Enrolment figures following Tuesday's school opening showed that 177 are registered in McKillop schools and 256 are attending classes at Seaforth Public School. It was pointed out that present enrolment figures may indicate tilat the proposed addition of three . classrooms and a library at Sea- forth may not be sufficient. There are 8 classrooms, a kindergarten room and a gymnasium presently existing at the Seaforth School. e However five year projected enrolment figures indicate that enrolment in Seaforth and Mc- Killop may drop to about 407 in 1971-72 and to 359 by 1974-75. There are 24 McKillop students presently attending the four -room school in Walton. A large deleg- ation - about 50 persons - pre- vailed on the board members to give Walton every consideration when making their decision. Spokesman for the group was Neil McGavin who suggested that by building an addition to the eight-year old Walton structure to accommodate all of McKillop's school population, equal educat- ional opportunity for the whole of McKillop could be realized. He was told by director of education John Cochrane that it was doubtful if the Ontario Dep- artment of Education would give maximum building grants on an addition at Walton. An approved addition at Seaforth could realize 100 percent financing from the department, it is believed. "What will happen to Walton? asked Mrs. Neil McGavin who intimated that 'Walton area Mc- Killop residents would press for equal educational opportunities for their children. "Nothing right now, " admitted Mr. Cochrane. Another McKillop ratepayer, Harold Pryce stated that 216 not- ices had been sent out in the Town ship advising ratepayers of a meet- ing to discuss the future of educat- ion in McKillop. He said 95 house holds were represented at the en- suing meeting. Pryce said that 86 households had children in school, and 55 of them were represented at the meeting. A poll at the meeting, stated Pryce, showed that the majority (81, no; 59, yes) were not in fav- or of a central school. There were 73 votes in favor of the Seaforth addition and 81 in favor of an ad- dition at Walton. Art Bolton spoke for the deleg- ation in favor of the addition at Seaforth Public School. He said 201 persons have now signed the petition in facor of the Seaforth site. "And we understand a building project at Seaforth should cost less than at Walton, " added Bolton. One lady asked the board how the whole issue got started in the first place. She learned that a small group of McKillop ratepay- ers represented at the parent -teach er discussions in the county last winter asked that the board indic- ate what its proposal would be in regard to the McKillop situation. This was done at a public meeting in Seaforth and from that, current differences of opinion developed. Vice-chairman Robert Elliott told the meeting in his opinion there was absolutely no way the board could solve the problem without disappointing some Mc- Killop ratepayers. "If there was no choice in the first place, then the first meeting was out of order, " stated one McKillop observer. "If there is a choice, then let us have democ- racy." During the meeting with the del- egation which took about one hour, See Us Now For Your SEED WHEAT TALBOT — GENESSEE — YORK STAR AND FERTILIZER BAGGED and BULK At Lowest Prices! Contracts Available CALL US NOW ! HENSALL DISTRICT CO-OPERATIVE BRUCEFIELD HENSALL 482-9823 262-2608 ZURICH 236-4393 some McKillop ratepayers claimed they had not been advised of all the information meetings. Others expressed concern that some Mc- Killop taxpayers had had more than one opportunity to have their opinions added to a poll or petit- ion. The board met in committee - of -the -whole to make its decision regarding the McKillop. issue. The motion to build an addition at Seaforth was moved by Mrs. Kund- er and seconded by Harold Moir, Wingham. Discussion lasted al- most two hours on the question with John Henderson holding out for fiar treatment for all ratepay- ers in McKillop. Henderson's ammendment to Mrs. Kunder's motion was to ap- point a committee consisting of the board members, all superint- endents, the principal of Seaforth DHS, the principal of Seaforth PS and the board's transportation of- ficial to give more study to the situation. ATTENTION: DAIRY FARMERS! A MASS RALLY for all Dairy Farmers and other Interested Persons is being hold on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 8:30 p.m. in the • St. Marys Memorial Arena for the purpose of informing the Farmers of the shortcomings of the recent major changes in Dairy Policy, dictated by the Ontario Milk Marketing Board USED DESKS WOODEN DOUBLE PEDESTAL _ HARDWOOD _ Ideal desks for home or the office — approximately 30x50 DROP IN AND SEE THEM!! MaTti©h 64/-/A MARKET YOUR WITH YOUR CO-OP TO OBTAIN TOP MARKET VALUE FOR YOUR CROP, USE THE IMPROVED FACILITIES OF HENSALL DISTRICT CO-OPERATIVE PHONE 262-2928 HENSALL