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Unit #1, Milton HOUAS: Mom. - Fil. 7-4, Set. 8-12 eoet wm~ wkw 875-1522 Fate uncertain Holy Rosary work stalis amid fears about money_ By CAROL BALDWIN "We've got approval, if Specal ti Th Chapionwe can fund it with the After îwo hours of non-stop debate lasI Tuesday night, the fate of three Halton Roman Catholic sehools parents say are in dire need of repairs is still uncertain. At the end of the evening, the trustees referred the issue 10 the Local Education Improvement Commission (LEOC). No date has been set for that meeting. The debate surrounds replacing Holy Rosary in Milton as well as upgrading and adding on 10 Burlington's St. Patrick and Ascension sehools. Although trustees unasimously agreed these three sehools were in need of replacement and upgrading, the price tag of $10.3 million proved lo be a stumbling block. Superintendent of Business Services Joe Birett tried mitigation hefore the debate got going, stressing the uncertainty of future finances 10 the board. "From Jasuary 10 August (1998), the payments (from the province) will be constant but the number of students will increase," he said, noîing that the same amount of money will also have 10 cover increased operating cosîs and inflation. "And the board can no longer increase the milI rate 10 offset the decrease in payments. The source of funding wiIl be enîirely under the control of the province," lie said. Mr. Birett said the board does no( ksow what fund- ing il will receive or how it witt be distributed. He said t'undisg tor junor kindergarten, tranisportation, g enerai operatlng experises, trustees, capital maintenance and boan repayntents is uncertain. "We don't know il the board wiIl be able bo issue debentures. EDC (educational developruent chiarg£es) tùnds cas only be used for sites, sot f'or buildings any longer," he continued& "*The onty certainty is uncer- tainty." Yet, despite his warnings ot uncerlain ttnancing, many trustees were deîermined 10 go ahead with plans 10 renovate or replace the three sehools heading the capital projeet prionlty list. Deoni insistent Milton Trustee Joe Deoni was most insistent, explaining that he had îalked 10 two resource people at the provincial Education Improvement Commission (EIC) who recommended the board proceed with ils application for capital upgrades, accompanied by a Ict- ter of support from the LEIC. "Anything you do that is going Io involve expendi- loren now or in the future should have the approval or recommendation of the EtC," he said. "He (the EIC resource person) said, 'I will guaranîce you, 99 per money that we are going to be ailocated, but we don't Iknow what those dollar are yet."9 cent sure, that there will be no funding formula until late March or early Apnil. The Ministry (of Education) is anxious to get requests from boards." Fred Sweeney, director of education, said funding for new schools was discussed at a recent meeting of education directors. "We've got approval, if we can fund it with the money that we are going to be allocated, but we don't know what those dollars are yet," he said. -We would be foolish to go ahead before we know that." Foolish flot to wait Mr. Birett agreed. If we submit an appropriate business plan, we will gel approval 10 go ahead, if we have the fonds." And, il was that last phrase, -il- we have flic tonds," that kcpt stalling Mr. Deoni's appeal to proceed ssith the construction plans lor the thiree schools. "These projects are dte three inost needy projeî. said Oakvitle Trustee Gerald O'llalloran. 'We need 10 do structural changes in order 1o give these stiîdts whal they îîecd. Let's gel behind these projects and mnove them along." Discussion down to dollars However, Burlinglon Trustee Krys Binkley hrought the discussion back to the funding. "t arn concemned with the money we arc spending in a three-year time period (the three capital projects wiIl take three years to complele). I don't feet comtforlable with tîtîs money being spent. so 1 have the option to staîl," she said. "At this stage of' the game Fin still cautious and I'm not prepared 10 say 'yen.' "Whal we are proposing tonighî was delèeaîed at a joint committee meeting (tinance and properly com- milIces)," added Ken Normas, a Haltos Hilîs lrustee. "1 have a problem goisg ahead in principle when 1 can't rationalize how we are going 10 pay the debt. We will have more financial centainîy once we have the formulas from the ministry some lime in the falt. 1 would be prepared 10 move 10 table il ustil the f'aIt." EXLSVE'EBESOLTA0 'NOFR 5 DAS OLY -JUL 2,3, 4 5,6/9 aI : i'u presents... 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