MIIrmStu dy concludes education T vtçc~ b9dI Pirfud REQUEST FOR BlD The following bid includes drawings: REINFORCED ENGINEERED FILL ON THE LST LINE AT 20TH SIDEROAD CULVERT 02.213 The following bld does flot include drawings: FIRE TANKER TRUCK 02-221 Sealed bids on forms supplied by the Town of Milton will be received by the Corporate Services Department, Purchasing until 11:00 arn local time on: September 11, 2002 Specifications and forms may be obtained at the Town Hall, 43 Brown Street, Milton, Ontario, Corporate Services Department, Purchasing, during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is a bld document fee of: $27.00 ($25.23 + $1 .76 GSI) for regular bids or $54.00 ($50.46 + $3.54 GSI) for bids with drawings. Payment can be made with cash, cheque, Interac or Visa/Mastercard. Any inquiries regarding this tender may be directed to Purchasing at (905) 875-5404. If you would prefer that this bld be couriered to you please complete the Request for Bid Document form on the Town's Website: www.town.milton.on.ca. Plan takers and current and upcoming bîds are also posted on the website. BY TIM WHITNELL Special to The Champion An independent study of provincial governmrrent funding of education con- cludes that the majority of Ontarios public sehool boards, including Haltons, are severely underfunded. The statisties generated by the Ottawa-based Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), via an article published recently by tbe organîzations executive board member I-ugh Mackenzie, indi- cates per student net tunding is $2 billion less tban it sbould be under the Ontanio govemment. Mr. Mackenzies study, entitled Cutting Classes: Elementary and Secondary Education Funding in Ontario 2002-03', utilzed current and historical data from tbe Ministry of Education. It makes funding projections for tbe upcom- ing sehool year for aIl 72 publtcly- f unded boards. Mr. Mackenzie says ihat sînce tbe govemment ordered tbe con- solidation of' sebool boards in Ontario and took control of tbeir tunding, implementing a funding formula in 1997, more total dollars have been put into education. However, be concludes tbat the net cf fect is a massive general "I think it was a very thorough analysis of the funding that has been taken out of education. In that sense his work did a service to school boards in Ontario." underfunding of the education sys- tem, after factoring in riscs in stu- dent enrolment and related costs such as teacher birings, board employee contracts and salary gnid considerations. The study specifically states that the funding formula bas lcft the Halton District Sehool Board (HDsn) $660 beloss wbat it should be receiving in per student funding. That amounts to a $29-million shontfaîl since 1997. according to the report. The I-DSB .administrationi repeatedly statcd this past spring that it was in need of about $4 mil- lion more in order to meet the needs of its projected 2002-03 budget of about $289 million. Officiais reluctantly recommend- ed chopping more than $4 million n personnel and programs. silice no further funding was f orthcom- ing. Trustees then equally rcluc- tantly passed a balanced budget. unlike the public boards in Toronto, Ottawa-Carleton and Hamilton, wbîcb bave defied tbe governmeft. Tbe CCPA report states the Toronto public board, the largest in the province. is $544 million- or $1,979 per student- below ils needed funding. Hamilton is $26 million sby ($465 per student) and Ottawa-Carleton $1 Il million short ($1,508 per student). At tbe other end of tbe spectrum, the CCPA says Catbolie boards in general bave benefited from the introduction of the funding formu- la to, the tune of an average net gain of $50 per student per board, com- pared to a net loss of $875 per pub- lic scbool student in Ontario. Haltons Catholie board bas gained $65 per student in govem- ment funding since 1997, says the study. However, tbat figure is grossly misleading, says the local separate sehool boards business superintendeni Joe Birett. 1 read the report and phoned Mr. Mackenzie to respond directly to him on the point tbat Catholie boards fared better tban public see MACKENZIE on page 18 "9,Join for as l"ittie as a week!" gi 10,,000 Square Foot Facility Incudes: Fitness Studio a Free Weights a Circuit Training - Personal Training e Fat Loss Program e Cardio Theatre * Cross Trainers Recumbent Bikes - Treadmilis e Stairmasters e Tanning e Child Minding e Pro Shop e Sauna e Privacy Changerooms Cati or visit our showroom at 409 Main Street today! Tour our NEW Womenf's OnIy facility and enter for a chance to a 2 year lease on a e l s i C l e c o u tîl e F i t n e s s - NEW WOMEN ONLY Current Coec 855s CLUB! 905-876-FIT3 409 Main Street Steeles Avenue East Nominal dues and administration feet apply. Offer expires Augutt 31, 2002. Offer valid at Main Street location only. David Patcheli Evans Fuunder & CEO Goodife Fitness