STEPHEN — In the last Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) meeting before recommendations are presented to school trustees this Thursday, the Avon Maitland District School Board came under criticism from members of the public and some members of the ARC.

Last week's four-and-a-half hour ARC meeting at Stephen Central School was the last regular public meeting of the ARC dealing with potential closure of schools in Bluewater - South Huron. After a series of public meetings held since the fall, members of the ARC will present recommendations to trustees at a public meeting Thursday at South Huron District High School (SHDHS) at 7 p.m. A decision by trustees, who will take recommendations from the ARC and from board staff, is expected June 22 at a regular board meeting in Seaforth.

As previously reported, the schools under review are Exeter Public, Stephen Central, Usborne Central, Zurich Public and Hensall Public. According to the board, there are about 500 excess pupil places in those five schools and, as boards are funded by the province per pupil, the current review is an attempt to deal with low enrolment and excess space at the schools.

At the beginning of the process in October, board staff presented their preferred option on how to deal with the enrolment problem - by closing Usborne and one of Zurich and Hensall and moving all the Grade 7/8 students from all five schools into SHDHS. The ARC has rejected that option but trustees can still consider it when it comes time to make a decision in June.

The ARC presented a new option last Thursday at Stephen. That option, dubbed by Stephen ARC member Dan Gill as “Proposal 2015,” would see the closure of Exeter, Usborne and Stephen schools, with a new Kindergarten to Grade 12 school at SHDHS.

That project would see a two-storey 22,000 square foot addition constructed  onto the large gym at the high school.

Gill described the option as one that incorporates several of the ideas the ARC has discussed over the past few months and an option that has an eye for the future.
Gill listed some advantages of this option:
• it brings together four communities into “one positive learning environment;”
• the location is central, minimizing busing costs. Loading and unloading would be done in bus safety zones on Gidley Street;
• the idea uses up the surplus space at the high school;
• there is more green space at the high school than Exeter Public;
• enhanced programming for subjects such as math, science, music and athletics;
• a barrier free and fully accessible building;
• a modern school which would meet technological demands.

Gill also listed disadvantages, such as an estimated cost of about $5 million. There would also be restrictions on use of the large gym and “socio-behavioural change would be necessary to welcome young children into a more mature educational environment.”

Other options left on the table from a previous ARC meeting include one that would see a K-12 super school that would see Exeter Public close and all of its students move into the high school. Another option sees a new school for Exeter, Stephen, Usborne and SHDHS, with those schools closing, and an estimated cost of more than $24 million, plus equipment and furniture. Another option is a new school for Exeter, Stephen and Usborne students at a cost of $12.5 million, excluding the cost of buying a site and furniture and equipment.

The school board also came under some heavy fire from members of the public at last week's meeting. Cam Steckle of Zurich said he was disappointed in what he called a “flawed” process. He said the ARC should have been given all of the financial information from the school board before the meetings started.

“Are you unable or unwilling to compile this information?” he asked, also saying the board “has no clear goal.”

He asked why budget and staff numbers continue to grow and said bureaucrats are accountable to no one. He said the board should be looking at its own inefficiencies and waste.

Steckle said the economic importance of a school to a town is huge.

He said the board hasn't stated what its goal is and hasn't done its homework. While he thanked the ARC volunteers for their work, Steckle said, “This board has set you up for failure.”

Steckle ended his presentation by asking education superintendent Mike Ash what the board's financial goal is. When no answer came, Steckle repeated his question later in the meeting.

South Huron trustee Randy Wagler said there is no clear financial answer to that question and said the goal for the process is improving education for the students. He said some scenarios save more money than others and dollars are only one part of the discussion.
Stephen Central parent Joan Ryan expressed concern about the possibility of Grade 7/8 students going into the high school. She said it would be unavoidable to expose those children to the older high school students and wondered if the 7/8 students would be able to resist peer pressure from their elders.

She also said if Stephen Central closes she will send her children to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Catholic board.

Ryan also pointed out that Stephen Central is at the heart of a community and draws students in from six communities, supporting local businesses.

“Our spirit is strong,” she said, pointing out the many fundraisers the school has held to benefit education.

Ryan added the idea of a “super school” doesn't make sense to her.

Retired Stephen Central teacher Dave McClure also spoke, explaining he doesn't want to see any of the schools close. He said he wants to see students get the best education possible and wants to see the least amount of disruption to rural communities. McClure said there must be other solutions to the board's problems other than closing schools and said closing schools in Dashwood and Crediton in the 1960s was a mistake.
McClure also spoke of how well maintained Stephen Central has been kept over the years.

“The old girl looks pretty good tonight,” he said.

Also of discussion last week was a letter from Huron County Warden Bert Dykstra, who requested that if the school board closes any schools, it not close any of the urban schools. Stephen ARC representative Dana Bozzato said she was disappointed in Dykstra's remarks. She later said she views the entire area as “rural.”

During the public questioning period, Stephen supporter Blaine Pryce commended all ARC members and asked if boards could implement salary caps.

Wagler responded that the board is funded by the province and agreements are implemented at the provincial level. He said the board would be going against provincial agreements with the teachers if salary caps were implemented.

Wagler pointed out that every year the board's administration costs are lower than what the government allots them.

“We try to be as frugal as possible,” he said, explaining that administration costs represent only about three per cent of the board's budget.

Price said salaries are going up and, “it's just got to stop. We've got to cap something.”
Exeter Public father Stephen Boles said he was stunned to see that an option put forth by the ‘Friends of Hensall Public School’ to close Exeter Public and move the students into a K-12 school at SHDHS was still on the table for consideration.

He described it as a “far out, bizarre option,” and urged the ARC to consider where it was coming from.

He said there is a lot of “self-protection” going on from the various communities affected by the ARC.

Boles said Kindergarten to Grade 8 is a very important time and those students shouldn't be in with high schoolers, who are “a different breed.”

Boles said, “Please forget that K-12 stuff. That is insane.”

Marty Krebs of the ‘Friends of Hensall Public School’ later explained the Hensall suggestion of a K-12 school for Exeter students. He said that came out of the philosophy that Exeter Public is an old school and the board should stop spending money on an old building. He said the younger students would be separated from the high school students in the K-12 school and there would be parent volunteers on site.

Stephen supporter Eric Rammeloo said the board hasn't released enough information. He said everything boils down to money and he asked the board, “What's the endgame?”
Wagler said the board doesn't just look at money. He said the board takes a more holistic approach to come up with the best overall decision for the education of the students.

He said numbers have been provided to the ARC.

Rammeloo said he definitely doesn't want to see a K-12 school.
Jackie Henry, a Stephen supporter, asked what new programs the Grade 7/8 students would study if they attend the high school. Ash said those students wouldn't get new programs, but they would have better access to teachers who specialize in a particular subject. Students would also have better access to specialized rooms like drama, art and science.

Henry said the only thing the ARC process has accomplished is pitting communities against each other.

Rob Haines said any decision regarding the schools should be based on “dollars and cents,” not emotion.

He urged the board to quit “candy-coating” the issue and “get it done. Get it moving.” He said the children will adapt to change - it's the parents who are resisting.

The board came under criticism for how it releases information to the ARC. Bluewater Coun. Tyler Hessel, who represents Bluewater on the ARC and has been a vocal critic of the board, said he has been let down by staff when it comes to research.

Usborne representative Ted Oke said one of the ARC's issues with the board is that the numbers provided to the ARC keep changing.

“It's hard to hit a moving target,” Oke said. Oke also said he wished South Huron Mayor
Ken Oke was in attendance at the ARC meetings.

Zurich representative Doug Schade expressed his disappointment that the ARC members were not receiving information from the board early enough to review them in time for meetings.

“This has happened every single meeting,” he said. “That is, to me, unacceptable.”
Schade later added the ARC needed more time to deal with the review.

Also during the meeting, Hensall ARC representative Joan Bradley asked if one of the commitments from the board was to prevent split grades in the future.

Wagler replied that the board can't guarantee an elimination of such grades, but there should be a reduction with consolidation. He said the board would prefer to have one class per grade in its schools.

Usborne ARC representative Pam Benoit said the ARC has put a lot of work into the process and she urged Wagler, who will ultimately be voting on the issue with his fellow trustees in June, to listen to the public.

”Make sure you listen wholeheartedly.”

As stated above, the ARC will present its recommendations to trustees Thursday night at SHDHS.

Board staff will make recommendations to trustees on April 13, while a regular school board meeting will be held at SHDHS May 11 to allow the public another chance to make delegations about the review.

Finally, trustees are slated to make a decision on the matter at a board meeting in Seaforth June 22.

Last week's meeting also featured a presentation from Huron County Health Unit public health manager Sherri Preszcator and dietitian Amy MacDonald, who spoke of rising obesity rates among children and the link between physical health and learning.