Times Advocate, 1999-11-17, Page 3WednesdaVavember 3, 1999
Exo Ti
a
School closure issue
coming to a head
By Stew Slater
SPECIAL TO THE TA
SEAFORTH — The
Avon Maitland District
School Board received
reports from various
community groups looking
into the possibility of
school reorganization in
Huron and Perth
Counties, but it was only
the Stratford group which
went so far as to recom-
mend a particular school
for. closure.
Two delegations from
Stratford's Falstaff Public
School made presenta-
tions at the board's meet-
ing on Nov. 9.
Both offered emotional
pleas to keep Falstaff open
and both noted the major-
ity of representatives
from Falstaff don't agree
with the wider Stratford
community's recommen-
dation the school should
be closed.
"Tonight, 1 formally
request the board's sup-
port and co-operation in
studying the alternatives
to this measure," said
Heidi Holsworth, chair of
the school council for
Falstaff.`
In another presentation,
concerned parent Anne
Swerdfager pointed to
potential new growth in
Stratford, suggesting it
would be foolish to close
schools when they may be
needed in the future in an
area of population growth.
The board also received
reports from community
groups in Listowel and the
southern end of Huron
County, but neither group
took the step of recom-
mending school closures
and no discerning views
were heard at the Avon
Maitland meeting. In
Listowel's two elementary
schools, the issue is over-
crowding, not the possi-
bility of school closure.
And in South Huron,
where several elementary
schools have seen declin-
ing enrolment, a commu-
nity committee decided
not to recommend clo-
sures.
"Our group decided not
to give recommendations
Laura Siltery, left, and Marian Dougall were on hand at
the Exeter United Church's Country Christmas
Bazaar last Saturday to volunteer their services.The
annual event was put on by the Exeter UCW and
women of the congregation. (photo/Scott Nixon)
regarding specific
action," said Randy
Wagler, chair of the South
Huron Region
Accommodation Review
Committee.
"What we did was give
recommendations as to
how the board should uti-
lize the information in our
report."
It remains to be seen,
however, whether the
Avon Maitland board will
make use of these region-
al reports at• all. At last
Tuesday's meeting, direc-
tor of education Lorne
Rachlis noted the regional
reports were not prepared
by the board.
"What staff will do with
these reports is to review
them carefully when
we're considering our
own recommendations.
We're very happy to
receive (the reports) and
very heartened by the
involvement of the com-
munity organizations,"
Rachlis said.
After the meeting, he
refused to narrow down
his previous predictions
about how many Avon
Maitland schools might
face closure.
"I've said before that it
will be a handful. But that
'could mean two or it could
mean nine. It will proba-
bly be more than one and
less than la"
At its next regular .meet-
ing Nov. 23, the board
releases a list of schools to
be studied for the further
possibility of closure.
Trustees will then have a
chance to approve that list
or amend it to include just
some of the schools.
Decisions on school clo-
sures would then be made
in February, 2000.
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Gr. 12 South Huron District High School
student Ben Hoogenboom places a wreath
during the school's Remembrance Day
assembly last week.Each wreath pinned rep-
resents a former student or staff member
of the high school who died during the First
and Second World Wars and the Korean
War. After placing the wreath, the student
would bow in honour. Members from the
Exeter Legion were in attendance and the
school also participated in two minutes of
silence.There were also performances by
the school choir and band and a reading of
John McCrae's In Flander's Fields. At right:
Students at Exeter Public School paid trib-
ute to Canada's war veterans during a
morning assembly on Remembrance Day.
Among those taking part were, front from
left, Gr. 6 student Zach Thompson, and Gr. 3
students Kyle Glanville and Chelsea Evans;
in back from left are Major Greg Pfaff, Gr. 8
student Kendra Halpenny and teacher
Dianne Waun. (photos/Scott Nixon)
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