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Council willi not back one school at expenseof other By IRENE GENTLE The Champion "r utaftl Town council won't be taking sides in a tug of war 'mutlti between rural and urban schools on the issue of sehool eta botsnlg closures.ouonfo etrr I don't think we should get into the battie of urban ton orete r versus rural," said Councillor Rick Malboeuf. I don't worw tefatlflfl" want to get into 'this school is more important or bas ...... more activities.' Mr. Malboeuf was responding to a request for spe- cial consideration of rural schools such as Hornby' s______________________ Percy Merry Public School. . Presentîy, the school has classes from kindergarter "We're asking for your support in keeping our to grade six. school open," said Kim Pickering, chair of the Percy "We feel that by the year 2000 we'd be close t( Merry' school council. being full," said Ms Pickering. She asked council to back a motion in support of the Schools in rural areas do double duty by also actinl provincial govemment providing enough funding to as community centres, she said. keep rural schools open. Council balked. Mayor Gord Krantz was reluctant to take sides wit Percy Merry is one of two schools potentially on the any one school that may be facing the axe. chopping block in Milton. Also threatened is Martin "We're faced with the possibility of three or fou Street public school school closings. I'm just a little hesitant about singlin They are under the gun tbanks to a Ministry 'of out one for better or worse treatment," lie said. Education directive aimed at determining wbicb Council shouldn't interfere in areas out of thet boards are under-populated and which are in need of jurisdiction, said Couniciflor John Challinor. new schools. I get very nervous about municipal councils gettin The directive states that any board doing nothing into a jurisdiction that isn't their business," hie sa about excess space now will not be eligible for new "This is the scbool board's responsibility. Let's not g school funding later. areas of jurisdiction confused as we go forward." That has put the 109-student Percy Merry on the Even go, Percy Merry's role in it's communi edge for the second time.. should be noted, argued Councillor Cindy Lunau. The tiny rural school with a 225 student capacity "I agree that it's not our business to tell thse boai managed to save itself two years ago by arguing that what schools they should or should not close butv 1 Milton's population boom will soon lili afty vacant should recognize that the school is thse hub of the cor seats. If it doesn't, the school is willing to experiment with growth options such as broadening school boundaries or increasing enrolment to include grades seven and eight. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Got her surrounded Christinle Adams, 13, with the Canadian Girls ln Training is surraund- ed by stuff toys the graup had for sale as a recent fundraiser, part of their Village Fair at St. Pauls Church. - see SIDES on page 19 92eminSt E #e