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The Citizen, 2003-05-07, Page 9THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2003. PAGE 9. Catholic school board gets ‘great By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen decided it makes more sense, economically, to replace the aging St. Joseph’s Catholic elementary school in Clinton, rather than retrofit it to conform with contemporary standards. Calling the announcement “great news,” Huron-Perth Catholic District School Officials at Ontario’s Ministry of Education have Taste test Grade 7 student Darcy Young steals a bite as Dave Wood carves during preparation for the Blyth Public School dinner at Memorial Hall, Thursday. The event also featured an auction with proceeds going to the Grade 8 graduation and school trip. The Grade 7s are recruited to help with this fundraiser for their older peers. (Vicky Bremner photo) High enrolment creates challenges at St. Michael’s Board management superintendent Geny Thuss informed trustees of the news at a regular meeting Monday, April 28. In an interview following the meeting, he described the school as several portable classrooms attached directly to a quite small pre-existing structure, and he suggested a new school would definitely provide a more desirable learning environment. Thuss explained that, late last year, the ministry asked each school board to submit the names of two schools which may qualify as “prohibitive to repair” according to the province’s educational funding formula. Out of four schools examined in Huron and Perth Counties (two each from the Huron-Perth board and the Avon Maitland District School Board), St. Joseph’s was the only one to qualify. He also noted that the level of funding for such replacement projects has been increased, thanks in part to the lobbying effort undertaken by the board as it successfully fought to achieve a similar “prohibitive to repair” designation for St. Mary’s elementary school in Hesson. A replacement project is currently underway in that case, but it took several years of lobbying at a time when the government had no process for making such determinations. “1 think our petitioning (in the St. Mary’s case) was very successful in causing the government to look at how it funds these projects,” Thuss said. Under a recently announced government initiative, the schools which receive a “prohibitive to repair” designation have all of their pupil places removed from the standard educational funding formula. Instead, each school is granted funding for a minimum of 200 pupil places, to be put towards the capital costs of constructing a new facility over 25 years. According to Thuss, that means approximately an extra $800,000 in direct government funding for the St. Mary’s Hesson replacement project — up from approximately $2.5 million under the previous arrangement. And it means the board can move ahead with the St. Joseph’s Clinton project immediately, without worrying about causing shortfalls at St. Mary’s. Ideally, he added, both projects can proceed together, perhaps eliminating the need to duplicate the challenges involved in constructing a new elementary school. “We’re going to be able to look at some synergies between the two projects,” the superintendent explained, adding that an example would be the possible need to design a kindergarten classroom just once instead of twice. That doesn’t mean, however, that it’s suddenly smooth sailing ahead for the board as it constructs two new elementary schools. That’s because a group of parents and community members is refusing to let die the thorny issue of constructing the new St. Mary’s school in Listowel instead of Hesson. Poole resident and St. Mary’s parent, Tom Diemond, made a pointedly critical presentation to the board at its April 28 meeting, challenging trustees to meet one-on-one with those opposed to the relocation. Diemond suggested trustees had already reached a decision to relocate prior to a regular board meeting on March 24, at which several St. Mary’s parents made presentations against the move. He charged those parents hadn’t been given an adequate chance to present their arguments. “(The parents) were acting in good faith that there was a news’ decision to be made based on the presentations that were made that evening,” Diemond said. He was also critical of the fact that no trustees asked any questions or challenged any of the points made by the presenters during the public portion of the meeting, but then discussed the issues with presenters following the meeting, in an informal setting. ‘‘The inability of the presenters to clarify their remarks (in a public setting) was a real opportunity lost,” Diemond argued. Trustees Bernard Murray — the chair — Ron Marcy and Mike Miller all spoke out against Diemond, stating trustees had adequate opportunity to assess arguments both for and against relocation. Miller added that he believed he adequately explained his reasons for approving the move during the March 24 meeting. The relocation to Listowel was approved at the March meeting, but Murray informed Diemond that trustees would “reflect upon” his presentation. Just prior to that, Diemond had suggested he may consider hiring a lawyer to challenge the decision. For his part, Thuss seemed anxious to get on with the current version of the St. Mary’s construction project, so it could be completed alongside the St. Josephus replacement. And he suggested a similar controversy is unlikely in the St. Joseph’s case, since there’s no reason to expect the school would be relocated outside Clinton. Call 1-866-734-9425 or visit www.medicalert.ca <® Medic Alert Lets You Live Life. By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen Unexpectedly high enrolment projections at St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Stratford are creating challenges for administrators, but no one is suggesting the increased enrolment is coming at the expense of non-Catholic schools in the Avon Maitland District School Board. Larry Langan, director of education at the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board, informed trustees at a regular meeting Monday, April 28 that a five-period day will be implemented at St. Mikes beginning September, 2003, replacing the existing four-period day. A similar timetable was instituted at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School in Clinton last year, and has led to the slight alteration of timing for lunch periods and the start of the school day, as well as changes in the utilization of classroom facilities. According to Langan, the change was necessitated by a combination of factors related to next year’s projected enrolment. These include, according to a report provided by the director, “the largest Grade 9 class in the school’s history: 253 students; (and) a larger than expected number of graduating students who currently plan to return for all or part of a fifth year.” The report also cites a group of Grade 10-12 students “who plan to transfer over from the coterminous (Avon Maitland) board,” but notes that no spaces have yet been reserved for those students. Langan told trustees that the school’s administrators approached the board hoping for approval of some other solutions, including converting conventional classrooms into science classrooms and utilizing off­ site, community-based spaces for some instructional time. Instead, the director instructed the school to implement the five-period day — which he admitted was not the desired option for St. Mikes administrators — thereby freeing up additional time for science, phys-ed and technical courses in existing classrooms. He noted that the conversion to science classrooms could ultimately lead to a shortage of conventional classrooms. Asked in an interview about the unexpected rise in projected enrolment, Langan said there’s no evidence to suggest any increase in the number of students transferring from the Avon Maitland board to Catholic system. This is despite the fact some opponents of the Avon Maitland board’s non- semestered secondary school timetable have argued it’s driving senior students to consider a semestered alternative. “On a year-by-year basis, we always have students who move both ways (between boards),” Langan explained. “Our analysis of trends doesn’t indicate any increase in traffic this year as opposed to other years.” Saturday, April 19 - Monday, May 19, 2003 Participating in safe and enjoyable activities begins with the five-step S.M.A.R.T. Approach: Stretching, Moving, Adding it up. Reducing strain, and Talking to a physiotherapist. The S.M.A.R.T. Gardening, Golfing and Walking program helps Canadians maintain and gain personal mobility. National Physiotherapy Month takes place annually from the Earth Day weekend through to Victoria Day Monday. Learn more about becoming a S.M.A.R.T. Gardener, Golfer and Walker at www.opa.on.ca, or visit your local registered physiotherapist. Ontario Physiotherapy Association Physiotherapy. IT'LL MOVE YOU. la Physioth£rapie. Red£couvrez le mouvement. www.opa.on.ca