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Pat Arbuckle Chronicle Staff The Waterloo County Board of Education bowed to the wishes of area residents Thurs day when trustees agreed to further study of the Brighton school issue with parents and residents. In its report to the board at Thursday's meeting, members of the Brighton/Elizabeth Ziegler/Northdale no commodation review committee that had been monitoring the enrolment situation at the three schools since May of 1982, recom- mended that Brighton school be closed in June of 1984 and that students be sent to other schools within walking distance. Time bought A delegation of parents and residents in the Brighton area, however, asked the board to postpone its decision to allow more Mulroney is McLean's man Brighton school issue to be further studied Waiter McLean study of the impact at closure on the neigh- borhood, the core area and on the safety of the students themselves, Prior to the April 13 public meeting at Brighton School some residents "were pre- viously unaware that the closure of Brighton was being seriously considered." said Jan- ice Murray, a Brighton parent and spokesman for the group. "Those present had difficulty absorbing and clarify- ing the information re- ceived in the time available - less than three hours," she added. In response to the group's request for ad- ditional study, the board agreed to es- tablish a committee modified to include more discussion and input from Brighton parents and residents. The purpose of the new committee will be to focus specifically on the Brighton situation, to respond to residents' concerns and to study alternate uses for the school. It will report to the board Oct 1. Bruce Scandrett, chairman of the ac- commodation review committee explained in his report that Water- 1oo's enrolment prob- lems began in the 19605 when the board of edu- cation began an ambi- tious school building program in response to rapid growth in enrol- ment. Schools were placed close together in the city's core. "Now we find our- selves with declining enrolment in the core and rapid growth in the suburbs," he said. In its study of the three schools, the com- mittee considered four major criteria: the ac- ademic program, the number of students and families affected by closure, the geographi- cal location of the school and the condi- tion of the building. Brighton was select- ed for closure, Scam drett explained, tre- cause the continual de- cline in enrolment would make triple grading a possibility as early as next year. With a total projected enrolment of 113 stu- dents next year, clo- sure of Brighton would affect the least number of students and these students could be ac- The Waterloo Chamber of Commerce took its first steps into the computer age last week, thanks to a donation of a mini-computer by the Dominion Life Assurance Company. The computer will serve as a data base for the Chamber, storing information on all members and will be used to compile a directory of city businesses. Above Peter Muirhead, actuarial assistant for Dominion Life gives Chamber secretary Pam McCuiiigh her first lesson in using the computer. HANDY TOOL commodated at other schools within walking distance, said Scan- drett. In an li-page brief prepared by residents. Murray questioned the committee's recom- mendation to close Brighton. Main areas of concern expressed in the brief were child safety, the effect of closure of another school on Waterloo's core area and the fu- ture uses of Brighton school. Murray described Brighton School as a "bright, cheery com- pact building with ex- cellent facilities, in- cluding a gymnasium and wheelchair accom- modation. It seems in conceivable that such a school. built in 1960, would be mothballed." she said. Murray added that parents have had only two weeks to review the information and formalize a response. "A decision as of such monumental im- portance must not be taken lightly and must be reached only after all the relevant issues have been thoughtfully considered.“ she said. Although most trust, ees were sympathetic to the concerns ex- pressed by the delega- tion, they agreed with the committee's rec- ommendation that the school be closed. Trustee Lynne Wool m be valued I vari- steneroft described Waterloo's core as " crisis corridor for empty moms." "People cannot con- sistently ask us to lower taxes and run schools with only eight kids in a grade," she said. Woolstencroft felt that the establishment of the new committee to study Brighton was "a reasonable compm misc." "I can also sympa- thize with the parents who feel they need more time," she said. Trustee Elizabeth Witmer. a member of the committee that studied the Waterloo enrolment situation, said that she under- stood the commhtee's recommendation to close Brighton but she also expressed sympa- thy for concern ex- pressed by parents. “I agree there shbuld be more time permit- ted to deal with their concerns and ques- tions," she said. In a discussion Mon- day at Waterloo city council, Mayor Mar jorie Carroll said that before any decision is made to close Bright- on. alternative uses for the school should be carefully examined. Uses which are “re versible". allowing the school to revert back to its original function, should be given top priority, she added. 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