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Times-Advocate, 1985-05-22, Page 30Page 14A Times -Advocate, May 22, 1985 A further two year delay for a Catholic high school in Huron (.'oun- ty and making St Michael's in Strat- ford a high school are the recommen- dations made by the Iluron-Perth Roman Catholic separate school board's high school planning commit- tee on May 13. The hoard heard the committee's presentation, but will not make a deci- sion on the future of Catholic high school education in both counties un- til Tuesday. May 21. Last fall the school board agreed to delay starling a Catholic high school in the system until September 1986. The committee's recommendation for lluron County calls for religious education credits to he offered star- ting in September of 1986 or sooner it requested. I lowever, the committee hasn't rul- ed out completely the possibility of a Catholic high school in- lluron. It has recommended that a high school be considered for September 1, 1988. The delay is recommended for a number of reasons. including an in- sufficient number of interested students and parents and more infor- mation on -the use of shared -facilities. .'The survey also revealed par- ticularily in the comments area that although Catholic ratepayers and parents favored the - concept -of a Catholic secondary education in Iluron County. they either did not understand or were not in favor of the school -within -a -school concept at ('en- tral Huron secondary school in ('lin- ton," said John - McCauley, superintendent of education. The committee suggests that. dur- ing the two year wait, the board find out if students now in Grade 5 in Huron would he • willing to register their children for a Catholic high •`school in 1988. According to the sarvey recently filled out by 306 Iluron parents, 51 present Grade 5 students would enroll in a Catholic high school. There were 44 students Indicated for a Grade 9 class for this September. More information on shared facilities should be gathered during this time. the committee suggests. It recommends visiting other school hoards where facilities are shared. In • Perth County, the committee recommended going ahead with its original plan to set up a Catholic high school at 51. Michael's. The Stratford school now houses only Grade 7 and 8 students. -The plans call for that school population to extend to Grade 9 in 1986 with an estimated 64 students. That number of students was indicated from the questionnaire. St. Michael's was originally built as a high school and has 11 classrooms anti one fully equipped science lab - classroom. There is also a library. lar for Catholic high school in Huron lockers, gymnasium and guidance and health rooms. A separate building on the site, a former gospel hall which if renovated, could be used for industrial arts or family studies. Tentative plans call for the gallery above the gym to be us- ed as a cafeteria. The committee's report also ad- dresses the parents' concern for the lack of a track. The report says space is adequate for soccer and track and field. Besides being close to city parks and the downtown core. the local YM - ('A is a stone's throw away. If approved by the board, the plan to be subrnitted to the ministry of education suggests that the French immersion classes, starting ,this September in St. Michael's would have to be moved when the high school starts. Superintendent Gaeten Blanchette said St. Aloysius is being considered for the French immersion classes. Another ramification anticipated in the Stratford Catholic system is hav- ing Grade 7 and 8 classes return to the four remaining Catholic schools in the city. The report outlines the committee's wish that once the high school and other schools are full, a gymnasium, library and classrooms be added to two schools. Director of Education William Eckert said no specific schools have been identified. The committee did recommend that the board "make a full study" of the building needs in the city. This study is to be presented to the board by June of 1987. It is expected that the study will use the information gathered a year ago when a full ac- commodation study was prepared. The committee's recommendations were made after 893 questionnaires were turned in. Eckert said 2,500 copies of the questionnaire were distributed throughout schools and churches in the two counties and there are about 1500 families in the separate school system. 4tie questionnaire returns represent about 60 percent of the separate school families. In Huron County, 306 parents answered, with 168 saying they will send their child to a Catholic high school and 110 saying they wouldn't. The comments from those saying they will send their children indicated most agreed philosophically with Catholic education and don't mind sharing facilities with Central Huron students. "Sharing the facilities at Clinton will help the students to learn to live in this world of Catholics and non- Catholics," was one written comment. The negative comments in Huron centre around the busing and sharing of facilities. "Too far to bus in Huron County". "Part of Clinton high school is not feasible ... build your own school." Of the 168 that said they would register their children. 106 said they would be willing to have their children transported at least 20 kin. to school. The number of students drops by more than•half,to 48 students, when the mileage increases to 40 km. The positive comments in Perth again share the Catholic philosophy. "We rely on a Catholic secondary school to assist us in imparting values and traditions of our faith." The negative comments in Perth MAKING School on behind. A> UP — Teacher Jim Bishop helped get the cost of Monster Madness ready at Exeter Public Thursday night. Here Jim (right) works on Spring Cushman, while Don Penning°sneaks up Centre mainly around the effect on the public system and busing. "Another high school in Stratford - not necessary." "Too far away." The number of undecided com- ments are higher in Perth, said McCauley. "We will sit back and see how suc- cessful the school is before enrolling our first child in 1991." Statistically, 254 parents said they would register their children in a Catholic high school in Stratford. Of that, 161 said they would be willing to have their children transported at least 20 km. Double that distance to 40 km. and only 22 parents said they would transport their children that tar. Trustee Ron Murray of Dublin ask- ed for a complete report on the fun - sing of a Catholic high school in the two counties. Eckert presented the estimated operating costs of a Catholic high school at lust over $400,000 for one year without including transportation costs. There were harsh words between Murray and the director when Eckert questioned what exactly the trustee BIA puts up signs Exeter will soon have new signs ex- t oiling the community as a regional shopping centre. BIA chairman Bob Swartman and sign designer Brian Jones attended Tuesday's session of council to unveil a picture of the signs which are plann- ed for the four entrances to the com- munity. A white squirrel will adorn the signs and there will also be a place for special community events to be advertised. Swartman said the BIA would be paying for the costs involved, but ask- ed council to take responsibility for the installation and maintenance of them. Council agreed to seek permission from the ministry of transportation and communication to erect the advertisements at the town's entrances. Councillor Don Winter, noting that he had recently travelled across the country, said the signs with which he was most impressed were those which made some note of a communi- ty's most distrtnctive attribute. When Swartman responded that Exter's BiA plans to promote the town as the white squirrel capital of North America. Winter replied that that should be the main emphasis of the sign. wanted in the financial report. "Every conceivable cost," replied Murray. "I don't care what a secon- dary school costs. To deny us as a board that information is petty." "I can't deny any information to the board," said Eckert. "But my first question is additional costs to whom. Do you want a netting out of that cost to the Catholic school board and the public school board) or do you just want our additional costs''" The cost analysis will be prepared by Superintendent of Business and Finance Jack Lane to be presented at the board's May 21 special meeting. Going to'' the Formal? 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