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10 - Thu Canadian Champion, Tuusday. Mardi 7,2000 Got a * hot scoop? CsII soie a 878- 2341, * ext. 234. w Ask Before - You Take MosI Canadians use herbaI remedies quite liberally, aasuming that because il is "natural" il is perfectly safe. This is flot always truc. Herba are tie carliest forro of medicine and cas have effeets similar 10 and as potent as over-the-counter and prescription medications. Unlike your medication, Uic dosage of your herbaI treatment may flot be as precise. Always talk 10 your doctor and pharmacist before taking a herbaI produet and bewareofmixing herlis with otier medicines as there might lie some dangerout interactions. and 4~j~ Canabian Cbrnn~noe w Tirning must be right: director * from PUBLIC on page 3 He said the timing would allow the required threc months for sehool closure committee work, tien a final decision lune 20 on potential closure of Fairtield. Delaying closure until faîl means bbc board couldn't borrow money in lime 10 build a new achool in 2001, said Mr. Papke. "Money tenders want 10 sec that the board la willing to deal with its surplus space, he said. Halton's board bas about 5,000 excesa sehool spaces which must be eliminated 10 obtain provincial funding For new sehools. Regardlets of the plan involved, sehools must be cloard if the surplus is 10 be reduced, said Mr. Papke. Halton District School Board QUESTIONS sud ANSWERS about the STRATEGIC CAPITAL PLAN ("CN Watson Report") Q. Wliat la a Strategle Capital Plan? Why does the Board need one? A. A strategie capital plan ia a long-range look at student accommodation needa throughout Uic entire region ofHalton. The Minislry of Education requires aIl Diatrict Sehool Bourda w file a capital plan by October 2000. Q. How was the CN Watson Strateglc CapItal Plan developed? A. CN Watson and Associates Ltd. reviewed Uic accommodation needa Uinuughout Uic coUre region ofHalton. Demographic trenda, future growth and developments, sustainable student enrolmesst levels during Uic next 20 yesrs, projected enrolment, and Uic Board's "surplua apure" were conaidered in Uie dcvelopment of Uic plan. b devcloping recommendationa for Uic next twcnty years, (including scliool closures and new achool construction), CN Watson also considered criteria auch as distribution of buildings wiUiin each rcview area, age of facility, date of recent major upgrades, and amount ofexceas space in cadi area. Q. Do we need new sehools? A. Yes. Tic CN Wataon plan says approximatcly 75,000 new dwelling unils will bc built wiUiin Uic Halton region durmg Uic next twcnty yesrs. Tus breaks down tu 43% in Oalcville, 25% in Milton, 22% in Burlinglon and 10% in Halton Hilîs. Projected enrolment in Uic elcmentary panel forecasîs an increase of 7g%, and a 59% increase in Uic secondary panel. This means during Uic next 20years, Uic Board will sec a region-wide incresse to approximately 48,894 elementary students (from 26,105 studenta) and 23,732 secondary studenta (from 14,958), almost doubling Uic existissg student population. Tic plan suggesta Uic construction of 42 ncw sehools (34 clcmentary and g secondary) during Uic next 20 years 10 deal wiUi "catch-up" needa aa well as "growth-related" accommodation needa. Approximately 18% of Uic coat of Uic plan, or $72 million, relates to Uic Board'a "catch-up" needa to alleviate crowding in existing sebools. Q. Why are sebool closures belng eonsidered? A. Tic Ministry of Education's "Minislry Rated Capacity" formula states that rcgion-widc, Uic Board prcsently bas too mmy spaces for Uic isumber of studenta in ils system. Overail, fiacre are ~761 sueplua spaces in Uic elemcntary panel, and 3588 surplus spacea in Uic sceondary panel. Whilc there is a rcgion-widc surplus, some sebools are prcscntly at or cxceeding their capacity, while oUier sehools are smnder-utilizcd. Under Uic Minists'y's fusiding formula, Uicre arc two key pointa 10 note. Tic Board has a specifle amount of rooney toonly operate spaces for Uic students it lisa. If Uic Board pays for more spaces Uian required (ie: if a sebool is operating undcr-capacity), Uiis takes away froro the funding available for Uiose oUier achools wbich may be fully utilizcd The second point 10 note ia Uic Minislry'a method of gencrating funding for new sehools. Tic Ministry will only provide pupil accommodation granta (PAGs) b Bourda to build new sehools when a Bourd's enrolment exceeda Uic amount of space il bas. To order for Halton to address ils "catch-up" needa as well aa prepare for new growUi, closurça are necessary. The CN Watson plan auggesls Uic closure of 14 selsoola (11 elementary and 4 sccoodary) as well aa Uic disposai of 9 vacant atsrplus propertica dssnng Uic next 2Oycara. ibis will generate funda necessary 10 build new achools. Q. What cIsc la addreased in the report? A. The report recommeoda a Junior Kiodergarten prograro. Incrcascd enrolment due w 1K would generate more Uian 553.5 million in granta for ncw pupil spaces. Q. Wben wlIl trustees vote on the report? WIII sehool closurea be dealt wlth separately? A. Truatees have approvcd a timeline which will sec Uic CN Watson report come 10 Uic Board for decision on Mardi 22nd. ibis vote will only be on Uic plan ilself, as an indication of intent of Uic Board's direction in dcaling with accommodation issues. ibe Board lias designated Mardi 8Ui 10 heur registercd delegations, regardiog Uic CN Watson report. A complete liat of dates can lie found on Uic Bourd's website at: wwwl.hu.Itonbe.oi.cia Sehool cloaurcs, as outlincd in Uic plan, will lic votcd on separately. According 10 Board Policy 7000-21: Sciool Accommodation, a "Sehool Cloattre Study Committce" will lic estalilisied for cadi achool designatcd for closure. Each ofUiese Study Committees will lic involvcd in an extensive consultation proceas wiUi staff, students, parents and comxnunity in order to beat address student needa, and should a transition to anoUier achool lie necesssry, 10 do so with Uic leasI possible diaruption 10 studenta. Q. How can I find ouI more InformatIon? A. Contact your local trusîce, or attend any public session of Uic Bourd and/or Committce meetings, hcld aI Uie 1W Singleton Centre, Burlinglon. Trusîce and meeting information are on Uic Halton District Sehool Board wcbsite at: v~'wwLheItonb&on.ca J.W. Singleson Education Centre, 2050 Guelph Une, Durlington ONL7R 3Z2 (905) 335-3663 (905) 842-30)4 (905) 8784451 FAX: (905) 335-9802 - 7 He noted Ms Flook's Aprit 5 motion would push the Fairfield closure decision to JuIy 5. ibis could be done, but trustees would have b make the summertime meeting date, he said. Burlinglon trustee David Abbott favoured staying with the March 22 date. "We've been talking about Fairfield For the last two, three or four years," noted Burlington trualce David Abbott. "The parente at the school know the procedures, know the procesa and know what they'oe fighting for." Here are the other timelines approved, based on the board adopting the capital plan on March 22: March 23 -- A school closure study committee for Fairtield is established and other applicable capital plan resolutions adopted; Mareh 29 -- The board meets with ail school council chairs regarding Uic plan; lune i -- School closure committees are established for Martin Street, Champlain, Mountain Gardens and Pauline Johnaon elementary schools, plus Central and General Brock high achools; lune 20-- The board makes a final dcci- sion concerning potential closure of Fairfield for June 2001; Sept. 6 -- Final decisions are made by the boani about constroction ol a new ele- mentsry achool (River Qaka is the sug- gested site) and starting a retrol'it of Charles Best elementary achool for junior kindergarten; Nov. 15 -- The board will make final decisions concerning potential closure of Martin Street, Champlain, Mountain Gardens and Pauline iohnson elementary schools, plus Central and Brock high schools. vMilton gets three new officers Halton Regional Police welcomed 17 new oflicers to Uic service dunng a swear- ing-in ceremony Febniary 18. Among thero were David Constantini, Paul Kapshey and Cole Repta, who have been assigned b uniformed patrol in Milton. The ceremony, presided over by Justice William Phillipa, took place at the Regional Council Chambers in Oakville. Family. Irienda, police and civilian members of the service witnessed the event. Persons with Disablities!! Do you need heIp to... v"Cmate or customize your resume? v Practice your interview skills? ,,/Sharpen-up your job search strategy? V'Explore a business or career idea? We offer amaîl groupa and individual nasiatance for free. To book a session, caîl Karla and bave a meaaage: 1-800-350-8361 s- I*I d ~ Canad~