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<flWèekend* novus ~81 MAIN ST. #1 & 2, 'Y'MLTON 876-47851 A Metroland Cornmunity ..wspaper Vol. 143 No. 58 Friday, October 4, 2002 36 Pages $1 00(GST imcluded) Pr - iParents' group set to fight proposed closure of school Photo by GRAHAM PAINE -,A real treat Firefighter Greg Ollerenshaw gives a treat ta Smudge, a four-month-old Dalmation puppy that wilI be one of many children's attractions at tamorrow's tire station open hous. As part of Fire Prevention Week, Central Station on Steeles Avenue wiIl be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Demonstrations, face painting, a barbecue and a visit from Sparky the Fire Dog will also be part of the event. By RICHARD VIVIAN The Champion The possible closure of Manin Street School had parents eagerly seeking answers duning a public meeting Tuesday. More than 35 parents iumed out for the first meeting of the School Closure/Consolidation Study Committee 10 hear from Halton District Sehool Board (HDSB> staff why their children's sehool may close ai the end of the school year. "This is an open process. There have been rumblings îhaî ihis is a forgone con- clusion. I wantIo1 assure you îhaî as a comn- milie. we take the îask we've been charged with very seriously, committee Chairman AI Greyson told the crowd. "Our job is 10 go ihrough the information and niake our best recommendation back 10 the (school) board." Aihough the sehool is operaiing near capaciiy with 250 studenis, I106 of those siodents are bussed in from nuiside the sehool 's caichmeni ares mosily for the French Immersion program. Those catchment area enrolîmeni figures are projecied 10 drop in the years leading up ho 2010, said Elaine Westerhof, the board's manager of planning. "lt's (sehool) in a mature area. ls popu- lation has maîured and is siariing 10 decline," she said. Under provincial regulations, sehool boards oniy get funds 10 build new facili- ties in growth areas through the elimination of surplus pupil placements. Thai surplus is Iooked ai on a board-wide basis, explained Jerry Cullins, the board's superintendeni of faciliîy services. "When the board needs 10 build sehools in response 10 new growth and develop- ment, one of thc issues thai it has to look ai is sehools ihai may be drawing from out- side the immediate area," he said.' "If we have an empîy desk in Georgetown and a student in Burlingion, they (Province) don'i care how we work that out. We'll have 10 shift boundaries 10 accommodate thai pupil before we will gel a dollar tc build one new pupil placement anywhere in the region." While parents weren't ailowed to address the committee during the first meeting, they were able to submit written questions based on information provided by school board staff. "I'm actually in the south end of town, but we've chosen this school - first off because it's French Immersion and secondly because of the hisiory of the school. You can't get the quality of a smal school education out of a big school," Mark Wallis, president of the Martin Street Sehool parent council, told The Champion. "We're going to have to show the board that iî's about more than just the numbers." A review of school catchmeni bound- artes is currenily underway and it's unknown what school Matin Street stu- dents would attend should the school close. A parents' group has also formed to com- bat the closure. In its efforts, the group has gathered signatures from more than 350 people opposing the closure. The public will have the opportunity to address the committee during meetings tis Tuesday and October 15. Another open bouse will be held Ociober 22 at Milton District High Sehool. Comment........ 6 HS Report .......8 Lit estyles..11-12 Dateline...22-23 Sports ...... 24-26 Classif led .... .29-32 -Frlday. October 4 a é Cuiuuhlsu ViliqoMuW *Is FoU Wu*. *Ciire11'* 0No Fuki'* Sud Se"sV* 0HuisDsu s* s*T% IMug o'* MActu WuMutI'* fLffq espm* u ln im uisSave*S 't.ieetd oamasconty i Ne