Catholic schools toughen up on student behaviour By HOWARD MOZEL Special to The Champion When classes begin next week at the Halton Catholic District School Board, stu- dents will be expected to adhere to an even more stringent code of conduct. According to Director of Education Lou Piovesan, the changes were made ta com- ply with provincial Safe Schools Act amendments by ensuring that certain behaviour will not be taken lightly. "We want ta make it very clear to stu- dents and parents that certain infractions will not be tolerated," he said. Last week, the board passed the new policies regarding student discipline in response to Safe Schools Act requirements first issued a year ago. Policies covering the last two aspects of these requirements, nanely student suspensions and expul- sions, had to be in place by September 1. "It's sending a message we want to pro- vide the safest possible schools," said Mr. Piovesan. According to the board report voted on last week, the purpose of the policies are to "support a safe school environment through the application of consequences for student action" contrary to the Codes of Conduct prescribed by both the board and the Province. These policies apply to all board students on school property, at authorized activities and while using authorized transportation services. It also applies, says the report, ifa student's "conduct in the community adversely affects the tone of the school." That said, the policies are not Draconian and allow teachers and principals some flexibility when deaiing with a variety of possible infractions by taking mitigating factors into account. Under the revamped rules, teachers - and not just principals - are now permit- ted to suspend a student for one day. Principals - who may extend one-day teacher suspensions up to 20 days - can also expel students. In the past, this had been up to the board. Mandatory suspensions will be meted out for infractions ranging from possessing illegal drugs or alcohol to swearing at a teacher or someone in a position of author- ity. Principals only can hand out a manda- tory suspension proceeding to an expulsion hearing for weapons possession to sexual assault. Discretionary infractions run the gamut of persistent truancy, willful destruction of school property and use of profane lan- guage to smoking on school property and the distribution of hate material. New to this list is the possession of a replica of a prohibited weapon. A pamphlet outlining the policies will be sent home with students so that everyone knows what behaviour will and will not be tolerated by the board, said Mr. Piovesan. He also explained that while there are a "significant number" of suspensions each year, outright expulsions are rare. The fme-tuned policies were circulated among the appropriate stakeholders and 14 generally supportive responses were received back by the board - nine from school councils, two from bargaining units, two from principals and one from board legal counsel. The Canadian Champion, Friday, August 31, 2001--9 GO TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT CHARGE PUBLIC MEETING GO Transit. An overali GO Transit Development Charge Background Study was prepared pursuant to "The Development Charges Act, 1997" (the Act). Its purpose is to determine the maximum amount of development charges that can be recovered from the 10-year growth-related capital plan. This will enable the municipalities which fund GO Transit the ability to collect development charges for part of GO Transit funding as permitted by the Act. Based on growth and ridership projections over the next ten years and the capital cost apportionment formula, the background study has calculated the development charges for GO Transit services for each of the affected munici- palities. Based on the overall study Halton has prepared "The Halton Development Charge Background Study for the GO Transit Service" which calculates the development charges specifically for Halfton. The Act requires that at least one Public meeting be held prior to the passing of a development charges by-law. Public Meeting The public meeting will be held: Date Time Meeting Purpose Wed., Sept. 26 2001 1:30 p.m. Administration & To present the GO Transit Finance Committee development charge proposals. The meeting will be held in the Halton Room, Halton Regional Centre, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, Ontario L6M 3L1. All interested persons are invited to attend the public meeting and to make representations. Interested persons should note that the development biarge proposais may change as a resuit of the meeting and any further staff reports. The final proposal and Draft GO Transit Development Charge By-law will be presented to Administration & Finance Committee at its regular meeting of Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at 1:30 p.m. in the Halton Room. The final GO Transit Development Charge By-law will be presented to Council for approval on Wednesday, November 14, 2001, at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers. For Further Infornation Copies of the Halton Development Charge Background Study for the GO Transit Services will be available to the public on Wednesday, September 5, 2001, and can be obtained at the office of the Regional Clerk at 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, Ontarto L6M 3L1. Any questions should be directed to Mark Scinocca (Ext. 7043) at 825-6000, Tol-Free 1-866-442-5866, Regional Municipality of Haton, Corporate Services Department, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, Ontario L6M 3L1. If you wish to appear as a delegation at any of the meetings, including the Public Meeting, please call Ms. Pat Crimmins, Deputy Clerk, Ext. 7256, at the same numbers. Tina Agnello Regional Clerk CRTC Reviewing Rules for Local Telephone Service Prices Regulatory rules regarding local telephone service prices are now under review by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as part of Public Notice CRTC 2001-37 - Price Cap Review and Related Issues. As part of this process, Bell Canada has filed proposals with the CRTC that are intended to: • Ensure that competition is maintained and encouraged in Canada's healthy, competitive telecommunications market; • Encourage investment in the communications industry, ensuring continued innovation and leading-edge technology; • Extend and improve local service in many remote areas; and • Ensure prices for local service remain affordable. Canadian Industry Facts Today, Canadians benefit from a world-leading communications industry with some of the most advanced and lowest priced telephone services anywhere. • Canadian prices for basic local service are lower than comparable services in other major industrialized countries. • Long distance prices in Canada have fallen more than 40 per cent since the introduction of competition. • Close ta 99 per cent of Canadians have basic telephone service, a higher percentage than in the U.S. • Canadians benefit from the world's lowest prices for Internet access (both dial-up and high-speed). For many services, such as long distance, wireless and Internet access, Canada's low prices are a direct result of competition and clearly demonstrate the benefits of reliance on market forces. Highlights of the Bell Proposal While the prices for many services are subject to market forces alone, local telephone services, such as the basic connection to the home and office and payphone services, are subject to a number of regulatory rules. Bell's proposal, which would come into effect over a four-year period beginning in 2002, does not call for specific price changes for regulated services. Rather, it recommends a framework that would limit any local service-price changes, subject to CRTC approval, based on the following: • Monthly prices for basic local residential and business services in most areas could increase, on average, by no more than the annual rate of inflation; Monthly prices for basic service in rural and remote areas - where prices today are far below the cost of providing the service - could increase by no more than $2.00 each year, to a maximum monthly charge of $29.65 at the end of the four-year period; • Ongoing monitoring of the effects of price increases on affordability would continue; • Customers would receive rebates if CRTC-mandated quality of service indicators were not met; and • The flexibility to increase prices of payphone service (affecting indoor payphones only, where the price could increase over the four-year period to 50 cents per call). Payphone prices have not changed since 1981. And with our latest Service Improvement Plan, Bell is proposing to invest $41 million to connect, over two years, more than 500 remote localities in Ontario and Quebec where basic local telephone service is currently unavailable. Through gradual and moderate increases in basic residential service prices, service would remain affordable, while encouraging greater competition and innovation. How to Participate in the CRTC Proceeding Initiated in March, 2001, the Price Cap Review and Related Issues proceeding follows up on key regulatory decisions that opened up Canada's telecommunications industry to competition in the 1990s. If you would like to file written comments, please do so by writing to the Commission, with a copy to Bell, by October 15, 2001, at the following addresses: CRTC: Secretary General CRTC Ottawa, Ontario K1 A ON2 Fax: (819) 953-0795 E-mail: procedure@crtc.gc.ca Bell Canada: R.F:Farmer Vice-President - Regulatory Matters Bell Canada Floor 5, 105 Hotel de Ville j8X 4H7 Hull, Quebec Fax: (819) 773-5629 E-mail: bell.regulatory@bell.ca A public hearing is scheduled for the first two weeks of October in Hull, Quebec. October 1, 2001, is reserved for comments from the public, which may be given in person or by teleconference. To present oral comments, you must register by writing to the CRTC at the above address by September 20, 2001, specifying whether you intend to participate in person or by teleconference. Please note that more information about the proceeding is available on the CRTC web site (http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVii/Eng/2001/8678/Cl2-11 .htm) or by calling 1-877-249-CRTC (2782). Bell's proposal is also available for examination on the CRTC web site. If you have questions specific to the Bell proposal, please call 1 866 625-0586. k