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Page 2, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, April 24, 1996 After five years of struggle, it certainly has been a GREAT sprîng marketl 1 would like to publicly thank the following home buyers and sellers whose loyalty was just tremendous: Mke, Micheline, Sam, Linda M., Linda T., Truus, Gary, Bob, Jane, Ruth, Ron and Robbiel 1 seli quality, NOT quantity, and currently have the time and space to market four new Whitby/Brooklin listings! If innovation, a great market plan and good rates are important to you, your success is just a phone oeil away by contacting the *Man with the white dogm, Steve Cooper at (905) 619-9500. 1 have some VERY pleasant surprises in store for you! STEVE COOPER, sales representative sutton group.heritage realty inc. (905) 619-9500 - Fax (905) 619-3334 EiUDGE!J Board officiails embarrassed about letters made public, By Mark Reesor, The inadvertent release of 60 confidential letters to thepublic school board has left oAfcials red-faced. The writers of the letters, some of which contained details of sexual assaults or teen pregnan- cies, teld how school-based coun- sellors had helped them over- corne personal problema and stay in school. Trustees voted reoently te eli- minate the six school-based counsellors, one of the spending cuts made in budget sessions. Board.policy states letters are te be viewed onl by trustees unless the writer gives permis- sion for the correspondence te be made public. Business supeitendent Brian Gain who ask the public at the Leging of the April 17 budget meeting te destroy the lettera, tookfuli responsibility for the mistake. «It was my error and nobody else's... 1 just tetally missed it when we went ahead and ran the agndas,» he admitted. «Te information was of a very personal nature, a very private nature,' that I did not spend time going through fast enough or appropriately te make sure it aigndappea on the public Cain said there were about 100 agendas printed and many were coilected when the mîstake was reahized at the beginning of the meeting. Badchair Audrey MacLean aiso teok "full responsibility» for the error, although adding she had no knowledge of the in- cident.1 'This was not done with malicé... I hope those folks whose names and letters are there will understand that we did make a mistake -- a serious mistake... it was an accident.» She promised officials would investigate and that a full report would De given te trustees and apologies would be issued te, each letter writer. Anna Clark, a school-based supprt counsellor at Central Cle ate in Oshawa,, says she was shocked» te sS the ett ini the ublic agenda. Sgdents decided te, write the 436-1800I One of a kind in Oshawa Gracious home with elegant main room and majestic entrance, 2 stair cases. Great location near hospital. This won't last! $225,000. To view cali Blair Buchanan, 436-1800. i ,, niairBauchanon Whitby Opportunity Knocks For oenovators! 3 bedroomn, large dining roomn, sftuated on lot 64e x 136'. Good value at $ 14,000. To view caîl Blair Buchanan, 436-1800. letters in hopea of convincing trustees te restore funding te the proram but cidn't intend te "share their lives with the public and preas» Clark says the prograni, which has a budget of around $240,000 a year, a.ctually saves the board money by convinýc1ng students who would otherwise drop out te s a chool. Keministry pays the board $,20 per high school student who completes the echool year, so if 270 students change their mmnd and don't drop out, the program'scost is covered. Te counsellors say, however that they see about 700Otroubleâ students a year at the Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa and Port Perry achools where the program- la offered, and many of them would otherwise drop out. "And that figure doesnt take inte, account studenta we may have helped three years or four years ago,» aaya Clark. " Many. of the lettera aupported the counsellors' contention. «Without (the counsellor) I would not be in school and would not be living at home, twrote one. «She has, talked me out of dropping out of achool and has helped me-with my attendance problema and now, thanka te her, I will be graduatin.» Another said that, if not for the counsellor, «I probably would 200 turn out in bid to save outdoor education progr"a By Mlark Reesor More than 200 studenta, parents and teachers turned out Monday night te plead with pub- lic schol board trustees te restere the outdoor education «"&itdoor education is an in- valuable experienoe,» it was sta- ted on flyers atudents handed out te each car entering the board parking lot before the meetinge. "Do not let it get taken, away." Tiusee voted recently te eli- mina-te the program te save $229,000 this year and $M4,000 next year. The students trooped -inside and many submitted written questions they wanted te ask trustees, although only a handful got a chance te query trustees during- the 15-minute public question p1ei 1Oneot the questionera was Whitby atudent Sonya Gray, who wondered if trustees would eut other non-mandater programa such as cooperative education,' language and music «which I' consider te be a lot, leas manda- tory than outdoor ed. i ana tory i my opi nion and everyone's here,'»s2esaid te a loud round of applause from the gallery., . ovial cutbacks foroed the ard inte making the decision. ".Tt is- not our doing. If you want te talk te your members of parliament in this regon, you can tell them personally what a terrible problem this has presen- ted te thia board.» Interim directer Clarence Prima echoed hercommenta, Say- ing the board values the program Deadline approaclies By Mark Reesor Public - chool board trustees will have to work quickly to have this year'a budget ready for approval at a special board meet- gat meetis *9already two days past thea 4 deadhine set by the Ministry of ducation and Trainings for receiving achool board budgets, althou4h bsiness superintendent Bran Cain doesn' t anticipate any probleme iii getting the short extension. Despite discussing and then voting down several proposed cuts, trustees agreed on only one item - mcereasmg the distance students have te, walk te school before the board has te provide busing (see story on page 15) - at last Wednesday>s budget meeting. Trustees have a]ready trimn- med $15 million from the budget, which translates inte an average mill rate increase of three per - ' ILYREALT Family Realty 2000 Ltd. L IS T1 Karen Cattaf i FORM 665-2000 LESS 2%r oent acroo ttie regzon. Recent cuts include axing the outdoor education program, cut- tmng $4.3 million slated to buy new computera and other techno- logy, and eliminating $2 million from the maintenance budget 1 . Another $6 million ini spending reductions would have to be made to avoid a tax increase. However, Nnone of the cuts are final until the board passes the budget Mýay 6. And a numbei, of trustees have already aid they'll th to restore fundin gt some ofthZe programs. The budget committee wil meet again tonight <Wednesday) at 7 p.m. at board headquarters. Another meeting 18 tentatively planned for Monday rught, April 29. at 6 p.m., btut only if required. 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