Huron Expositor, 1999-12-08, Page 15Junior K
to Grade io
suggested
Sy Susan Hundsrtmark
Expositor Staff
Housing junior kindergarten
(JK) to Grade 10 at Seaforth
District High School could
maintain a high school
presence in Seaforth and is an
option that could be explored.
says former Huron County
school board trustee Allan
Carter.
'The board needs options to
consider and this is an idea of.
what may work. If we haven't
got something, we'll end up
with nothing," he says.
Seaforth's three area
schools were listed for
• possible closure, along with
four other district schools. by
the Avon Maitland District
School Board at the end of
November. A final decision
will be made by the board on
Feb. 23 about which schools
will close in June
While a JK to Grade 12
school was presented as an
option at Wednesday's public
meeting at the Seaforth and
District Community Centre,
Carter says Seaforth's high
school is not big enough to
house all the students.
He says he believes the
board will not want to build
onto Seaforth high school
when other area high schools,
such as Central Huron
Secondary School in Clinton;
have empty space.
But. since Grades 7 to 10
are considered the
intermediate level and use
teachers with the same
qualifications, Carter says a
JK'to Grade 10' school could
work..
"I'm not sure if people will
accept it but it will maintain a
high school identity in
Seaforth. And, it will be a lot
easier to add Grades 11 and
12 back on if the enrolment
increases in the future than it
will be to get back a high.
school after its gone," he -says.
Carter says he is unwilling
to head a committee to study
his idea but • hopes that
community members will take
the idea and study it.
"If they want me, I'II be
there but if not, that's fine
too." he says.
Carter .says the time Tor
"hooting and whining and
ranting and raving" is past.
Instead. he says the board
needs to be presented with
"'reasonable and creative"
options if Seaforth's schools
are going to he saved.
"We have to.' build.
something that's so damned
good that the community will
want to be involved and the
. board will want.,to.hear about,
it," he says.
Seaforth District High
School council chair Maureen
Agar says that Carter's idea
may be explored at a later date
hut that for now. she's fighting
all school closures.
"We have a mandate from
the public after Wednesday's
meeting to fight all school
closures or to look at putting
Grades 7 and 8 at the high
school." she says.
Seaforth Public School
council chair Susan Arts says
she doesn't support Carter's
idea because board
administration has told her it's
unworkable.
"They said they're in the
business of closing schools
tight now. not building,
additions." says Arts.'
SAVE A
NEM RION
1111111311 NAST—
News
Santa surprise
Pat DeJong was a little surprised when Santa suddenly stopped and sot in his lap at Seaforth
Agricultural Society's annual toy show on Saturday.
Scott Hitgendorff photo
Plan forms from community responses
From Pam 1
you, you'll never get it back."
she said, stressing the need to
find a way to at least keep that
facility open.
She presented the
approximately 300 people at
the- meeting with some
possible options.
The first would see Grade 7
and 8 students from Seaforth
Public School attending the
high school while Walton
Public School, would close
and those students would go
to Seaforth Public School,
with students ' from
Egmondville that now go to
Hjiron Centennial.
Under this option. she: said
the Grade 7 and 8s would
have better facilities like labs
and firmly believes the
students can mix well
together.
If enrollment increased, she
said the school would at least
still 6e there and the Grade 7
and 8s could be moved bask
to the elementary school.
The second option was. to
move all the students into the
high school from junior
kindergarten to the OAC
level.
"Just don't panic and say,
'My kindergarteri kid in the
high school?"" she said. She
trusts the older students to
look out for the younger ones.
"You're talking about your -
own kids," she said.
The other option is not to
fight to keep all the schools
open.
But she stressed- thc
importance of finding an
option that the board would
accept that would keep the
high school open.
Without at .least keeping
that facility; shewarned it •
would deter people .from
moving here and could lead to
the hospital 'and businesses
closing. • '
People were asked to
respond to their first two
choices.
Everyone selected keeping
all the schools open as their
first option with.260 going -
toward that.
For the Grade 7 through
OAC format at the high something to look at." said
schools, 131 were in support Agar on Monday. frustrated
while 69 supported having all that the pressure has been
the students in the high placed on ,her and: the
school. • commumnity to come up.with
The committee leading the' savings for the board. •
public in this•situation have "The hoard members get
since developed its own five- paid to look at this. They're
year plan to present to the putting us in one heck of a
board based on these results. position." she said. adding the -•
• For the 1998-99 year, there board .wants them to come up
would be no school closures with figures for savings but
and, because of government she can't gct•answers from
funding, would leave the them on such issues as how
board unable to build any new much it• will cost to bus
schools. • students from one. location to •
For 1999-2000 there•would another.
be no closures or the Grades 7 She. said trustees and
and 8 students would come to •administration are the people
the high school, again at no with the experience dealing •
cost to the board. with board finances hut
For 2000-2001; it is' they've put it -in the laps of
suggested the board permit a community volunteers.
proposed public fitness "Cut the administration.
complex that would see a Thai's. the only way i can see
$13,000.a year cost incurred it." she said of saving money
in addition to community for the school hoard. •
But she said• they aren't
being told how rnuch money
is paid to different
adthinistration positions. •
"I'm just a citizen trying
my hardest to save the town."
she said. n
' Agar: who personally
doesn't advocate keeping'all
the schools open as a realisiic
option; has been getting
telephone calls froth place.
tike Walton from people upset
at the idea of closing that
-school. - - .She. said it's an unfair
postiion the hoard has put
them in when they potentially
become the ones telling: the
board which schools should
close. .
Agar said she's willing to
listen to anyone's ideas hut
that her- telephone is not
ringing oft' thc.hook with
suggestions for compromises
or savings for thc hoard.
funding.
For 2001-2002, the local
museum'could'be placed in,
the school in underused areas
with -community funding and
grants and cooperative
education students staffing the
facility. There would be no
cost to the board but it would.
continue to increase the
viability of the school.
For 2002-2003, a day care
facility could be established
with government grants and
community funding. Again,
there would be no costs to the
board.
Agar said this plan has
minimal costs to the board but
keeps the children in this
community and ensures the
viability of the town.
While the plan does not
increase costs to the board
until it considers partnering
with the fitness complex that
has already been proposed to
the board. it does not offer
any savings which the board
says must be there to keep
schools open.
However, the plan was
generated in,response to the
general community consensus
at the meeting that no schools
be closed.
"I've tried to give Seaforth
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