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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, June 4, 2002 -3 Cancelling bus service for French I1ri~ Q~ kili program, says parent By PAUL. MITCHISON Special ta The Champion An Oakville parent warns that cutting bus service for French Immersion will kili the program, as sehool trustees consider slashing transportation costs to meet a tight budget. "If they do this, the programt will be gone in three years,' said Don Vrooman, chair of the sehool coun- cil at Pine Grove School in Oakville, a French Immersion school where most of the school's 650 ttudents arrive by bus. Trustees are considering cutting bus service for French Immersion students tu save $4 10,000. Mr. Vrooman predicted many parents wont be able to drive their kids to0 sehool, which will reduce interest in French Immersion. While most parents are fully committed, he said, new students would be less Iiely to enroîl in grade 1, "and when enrolîment drops in any school, then the pro- gram is cancelled.' The bus culs were just part of $4.2 million in spending reductions under consideration by trustees if they wish 10 pass a balanced budg- et f or 2002-03. The numbers were discussed during Wednesday night's meeting at the boards head office in Burlington. According 10 a staff report from the boards Business Superintendent CarIa Kisko, other suggested cuts include: - Elimmnating the purchase of classroom computers and staying with existing machines for another year 10 save $565,000. - Slashing $1.3 from daily main- tenance. It could mean not replac- ing lights that hum out or fans that dont work, and also trying 10 repair aging equipment that would ordi- narily be replaced. - Cutting 26 new, fulI-time cdu- cational assistants from the pro- posed budget, 10 save $695,000. The debate included a discussion of whether the province might sud- denly announce additional funding 10 help cash-strapped boards from making painful culs. Trustees have another budget session set for tomorrow and will likely avoid making final culs until a board meeting set for Jonc 19. Board Chair Ethel Gardiner said in an interview that the transportation culs have been discussed as possibilities in the past, but she stili expeets a strong public backlash. Sbe said she hopes more money will corne from the Province soon to help avoid making the cuts. "We still have a ways to got before we make any final determi- nation. this is stili preliminary talk." The board's Director of Education Dusty Papke told trustees be believes the provincial govemmerit will soon recognize the need for an improved funding formula to replace the existing model from 1997. "The govemment has already admitted it needs to be tîxed, but I dont know at this point whether there will be additional dollars this year. There are no timelines and thats the problem," he said. The budget report showed that wages amounted tu $228t.3 million, amounting Io 79 per cent of the budget. Ms Kisko told trustees that employee wage increases arent taken into account in the current budget. Contracts expire in August. su expected wage increases will likely worsen the financial pres- sure. - 2.2L - 5 Speed- ABS - Passlock Theft Deterrent Cmiii cluPoec e o 2 9 ý$1 ,98 * UA + taxes + freight & taxes ~2.5% / 48 months 2 2L* -DOHO - Air Cond. * Auto - ABS * Power Locks -Tilt Wheels- CD with 6 Speakers Ca*h Puchms ce or $ 318 *. $2G,i 98* LEASE /24% fegt&taxes 24 8mnh Century *3.1 L - V6 - Dual Zone Air Conditioning- 15" Alloy Wheels *6 Way Pwr. Seat - Split Folding Hear Seat - Keyless Entry Ca h ichaso Pdcs or $378* + frght!491LEASE Aosh pn;cu are pift aMd 8xe ALempuflioMe f48 mfhad 80,000Km's (Kin charg of 12s ovar80000) edomIiphWSiffl =am 0 security deposii tOiiyadmi.Foea ($9500> gas tas Imm u& gas deon .d vfyOAC Bako ySpeca l LIONT RYE BREAD- SMALL LOAF LIONT RYE BREAD- LARGE LOAF PNORWMCARAWAY SEED PW R AWAY SEED oil Specials ROAST BEEF BLUE RIBBON $ 99 Le BOLOGNA L $399 LW$3497LB6 or MON o 7710 Store iMoný-Thurs- re Hours ,s. 1 30 am-7 pm 8 ^^ ýým ^ pm 8 30 am-6 pin 9,00 alll-5 pni p*wâh§ftý w *,O*Pb m )m03O3