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) s 5 : ) + 4 ' ‘WwwW.northumberlandtoday.com t THEGOLBORNE ) , ' Local News - @ _i ECAmraat c es se e n lal d dione. ol ol E 2 § * + $4 S()U.t Crama € sCNOool appeal heard: * p â€" CL. a e : OE AXE, A W\ Continued from page I awareness that the current school in f . ; â€" ; â€" e E . Castleton needed more repair. That wasn‘t â€" ___ When the committee could not come to as apparent at South Cramahe. 4 : ap__â€" 35 â€" ) § ‘consensus on a new location, Ms. In the committee it was one group > â€"â€" »Summersides presented the information against the other, in the mayor‘s opinion. 3 she had collected with the committee and â€" The members couldn‘t decide and the board the board made its June, 2008 decision to . made the decision. Some weren‘t happy he h ® &. ‘place the new school in Castleton. noted. CHRONIGLE _ Thored $ p In July, the parents appealed and their In an attempt .to clarify public > sday, November 27. 2008 â€"14 ; _ ‘concerns were heard Nov. 13: understanding of his position, the mayor \ ) (~|_ Ms. Wilson and Ontario Education. admitted he gave his personal opinion & | Officer Len Godin heard from the when asked but did not speak to and board 7 . ) committee first. member or trustee in order to influence 4 | . .. She reminded the group she does not â€" them, ; \ 4 have the power to overturn the board‘s Bringing the conversation back to the q } June decision. She can look at whether the school site selection, Mrs. Rath expressed ) i § ) f board‘s ‘school closure policies were. her concern that issues regarding the ) s O an S 4 followed and look at its procedures to â€" Greenfield site had not been considered. _ â€" er | ascertain if they are transparent and Fellow committee member Debbie j comply with the province‘s requirements. Grouchy confirmed the statement and \ y Committee member Robin Rath was the spoke of an urgent deadline for selection of ; l Y first to speak from the committee. She felt . the new school site, despite the fact that the â€" j ; the process had been steered in a specific . $4.8â€"million provincial grant appears to be direction from the beginning. Committee â€"available indefinitely. s ; members had to agree to close their schools Ms. Wilson‘s request for clarification before any information regarding the â€" was met by Mr. Hick. ; § 4 replacement school was discussed. She The superintendent explained there were _ _ didn‘t think that was part of the board possible Ontario Municipal Board ' policy. 7 objections and zoning questions. The board } Mrs. Rath questioned the target dates for â€" was told by Mayor Coombs the process to § * K the new school, stating that the board‘s 10â€" resolve these concerns would be lengthy. year capital plan determined construction Later in the discussion Mr. Hick j of a new school should begin in 2011. explained there was a pool of money In March, 2008 the committee was told available in the province to replace " . the start date was nonâ€"negotiable. prohibitive to repair schools. Those who got ; 3 Construction on the new school must begin _ their requests in‘ earlier had a better chance this fall. of getting grant money I Ms. Wilson reminded Mrs. Rath and Mrs. White refuted the claim that : â€" : _ \Cramahe Mayor Marc Coombs that she was â€" Greenfield sites were not given adequate j «.looking at the process of the board consideration. b k : . 1 administrative procedures. It was within _ _ They were looked at in the April meeting s _ the board‘s mandate to decide what schools of the committee and didn‘t meet the + is it wanted to close. ; criteria set by the committee without ; Mayor Coombs stated his opinion that â€" influence by Ms. Summersides. i _\ _ the committee did not have much input into ~When a new site was identified three to & ® : T |_ ~the closings which were the starting point four weeks after the deadline for U ~of the procedure. consideration, it was considered and didn‘t ; s E »â€". Ms. Wilson responded with a question of â€" meet committee requirements. !gi:’ _her own, "Was the committee aware of the Having listened to the conversation, Ms * / . »Ministry of Education‘s examination of Wilson admitted she wasn‘t hearing much * 4 schools and the prohibitive to repair â€" about breach of board policies, Rather, she status?" © was hearing disagreement about the The mayor, who sat on the committee, location of the proposed new school. The admitted it was. board had met the criteria for moving ; Michelle White agreed and listed the forward she said; there were declining @ : history of the process prior to the decision _ enrollments and the two schools had been .. to close the two schools at the committee‘s declared prohibitive to repair by the .. _ second meeting last February. province. j * Rusty Hick replaced Ms. Summersides _ She commented on the information read upon her retirement in August. He noted on the subject and how people in the z : that the decision to glose the schools was township had wanted arural/schoolvSho ; _ .. .made by the board: The:.committee made thought the inevitable question wouldibe. the recommendation but the board made _ about consolidation and a new building) 0 s : the decision. She wondered if the committee had : _ After _ a few minutes of further . agreed to this, sys h ; . â€" discussion, Ms. Wilson asked the group Ann McMurray agreed it had, but added â€" ‘ _ once more to consider if board policies had â€" the choice of location had caused upset. ©‘ ‘been breached. Ms. Wilson will take three weeks to + Mrs. White again supported the process, consider the information she and Mr. Godin | stating her opinion that the board had have collected and send her report to the ; f â€" Ti to the voices of the community. provincial minister of education. From j hs%dar Coombs disagreed adding that he â€" there, it will be sent to the KawarthaiPine 5 thofi%‘g‘t the committee did not want to Ridge pubic school board and released to close the schools. When the alternative was â€" the public. %, \ * > .. <«to send the children to Brighton the board Mr. Hick said after the meetir othing. . _ was petitioned by the township to putanew . will be done by the board until it has ; E. "school in Cramahe. There was an received the report. ? & 3 @ mnmmmmnneemmemeeenenemmmnm mm o im w8 C200 SSR enc 200000000