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8 - The Oakville Beaver, Tuesday D ecem ber 23, 2003 Year-long moratorium on school closures can't last forever By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The Ontario Liberal government has followed the Halton District School Board's lead by putting a year-long moratorium on school clo sures -- but the board says it can't last too long in limbo. Anything more than a year could "put us in dire straits" said board chair and Oakville Ward 3 trustee Mary Chapin. "It's an interim step and we're not unhappy about it, we're just cautious that it can't go on for very long," said Chapin. The provincial school closure moratorium is to allow the province time to review how it provides fund ing for school construction. "It will enable us to work with the funding formula that doesn't work in growth areas," said Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, adding, "It will also allow some stability in the school system for at least a year." The board-wide and now province-wide moratorium won't stop the closure next fall of Queen Elizabeth Park School. Its replace ment school, Abbey Park at 1455 Glen Abbey Gate is set to open next fall. It will, however, affect other Oakville schools. The board had been set to look at the possible closure of Pinegrove Public School and the related status of all other public schools in southwest Oakville. It was also looking at an accom modation review in the northeast area of town, including schools like Lome Skuce, Montclair and Sunningdale. Chapin said it's not that the fund ing formula doesn't work in growth areas, it's that "it works at the expense of older schools. We close older schools to get funds to build new schools in growth areas," she said. Consideration for the bot tom line may have gone too far though. "Because of the current funding formula, short-term financial considerations have played too large a role in deci sions to close schools. Some of the most successful schools in the province, in terms of litera cy and numeracy testing results, have closed," said Education Minister Gerard Kennedy. In recent years, schools in older areas have had students from new areas bused in, and have been full of portables because schools have had to run at 100 per cent capacity and more to receive funding for new schools. This has forced the closure of older schools, often neigh bourhood, walk-to schools. Chapin said the Liberal government has also talked about reducing primary class sizes -- a move that would require more classrooms and more teachers. While it would likely result in the retention of some of the older schools, it would cost millions across Ontario, said the board ohair. The local board moved to ban school closures for a year because with the recent elec tion, many trustees weren't comfortable in making deci sions about closing schools. Such decisions also create dis sension in the community and it was a means of making clear to the Province that change was sought. Halton can't last for more than a year without building schools though -- a move that would leave classrooms full and put the local board in debt, which it isn't legally allowed to be. "In Halton we will be safe for one year, we calculated before we put our own morato rium on. An integral part here is that our cash flow remain positive and we figure that's okay for one year," said Chapin. "If the pursestrings are not loosened, however, by the fall of 204, we are going to have some difficult problems to resolve, in co-operation, we hope, with the provincial gov ernment," Chapin said. "We're optimistic there will be a change in the funding for mula by that time. We are in fact talking to representatives from the provincial govern ment to make it clear we can not survive beyond a year with out going into deficit," said Chapin. The moratorium is general ly good news for boards across the province, except for a few high growth boards, including those in Halton, Peel and Durham. B o x in g W e e k S A L E Underbed Storage Box Clear w I green lid, wheels Reg. 12.99 T a k e a d v a n ta g e o f g re a t s a v in g s s to re w id e to h e lp y o u ORGANIZE e v e ry ro o m in y o u r h o m e ! 16" x 4 2 " x 6 " L im i t 6 p e r c u s t o m e r . No rainchecks. Kitchen Closet , Bath Laundry Office Garage Collections Travel Shelving Packaging S o lu t io n s Y o u r O rg a n iz e d Living S t ore w w w .s o lu tio n s to r e s .c a Oakville 9 0 5 -8 2 9 -1 0 8 4 Mississauga 9 0 5 -8 2 6 -3 4 7 7 Whitby 9 0 5 -4 3 3 -8 7 4 6 Britannia < /> > 03 N Toronto 4 1 6 -5 1 6 -6 6 3 5 Peter C. McCusker · Oakville Beaver STORE SPIRIT: No Frills staff get into the spirit of the holi days. The grocery store, located in Trafalgar Village Mall, is decked in holiday decor and items for those special gatherings. 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