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TAN vy 2 A ser Te SR a RE Be J MACHA SWES 2 - "WEEKEND STAR" FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2000 They'll take concerns to Premier Harris Board to protest special education shortfall By Rik Davie Weekend Star Durham District School Board trustees will send a letter to Premier Mike Harris, asking him where the board's special educa- tion funding went. Boards across the province had to fund spe- cial education needs on guarantees from the province that they would receive at least as much i. CA Re VERS money as they had last year. Increases in funding for this year depended on staff filling out requests for funding based on individ- ual student assessments. The results of govern- ment audits of those requests mean that the Durham board will receive none of the $43 million in additional special educa- tion funding that Education Minister and yO PEE REE EE i | GRO ERR LEE sw aw Uxbridge-Ajax MPP Janet Ecker is spreading across the province. In spite of the growth in students population in the areas of special education by 400 students, funding in the region will be held at last years levels. Bev Freedman, superin- tendent for programs, said that she is at a loss to explain why there will be no increase in provincial alr Bram & , El INIngsi funding for special ed in Durham. "They (the government) would argue that the process was designed to allow us to show need," Ms Freedman said. "But until | see figures on which stu- dents were disallowed or held to a lower funding level than requested, I simply do not have the information necessary to answer as to why we nn Kd., Ajax (905) 686-3666 LEE EE RE RS FR A appear to have failed to gain the extra funding." Board chair Doug Ross was furious over the deci- sion by provincial educa- tion auditors. "What do we have to do at this board?" he asked, "Fly the Tory flag from the top of the building?" Mr. Ross was angered by what he called "the gov- ernment again turning a blind eye to the demon- strated needs of Durham." The board has funded special education deficits from other areas for sever- al years in an effort to maintain the high stan- dards Durham has become known for across the province. Superintendent of Finance Ron Trbovich said that he hopes the govern- ment will at least guaran- tee another year at current levels, until the system for testing special education needs can be regulated across the province. "Given the system used to determine need this year," said Mr. Trbovich, "this board would see a deficit in next year's fund- ing model, and cuts to cur- rent programs would be inevitable." -A motion was put forth to send a letter to the Premier, demanding answers. Uxbridge trustee Nancy Loraine amended that motion to stipulate that the letter be hand- delivered to Mr. Harris. "I am concerned over the lack of response by the government to previous written requests by us," said Ms Loraine. Scugog Trustee Bobbie Drew said "we have to do something that will warrant a quicker and clearer response from the govern- ment than we have come to expect." The board is currently supplementing special education programs by $1.8 million over provincial levels, a level that board staff say cannot be sus- tained in the new budget year. Mr. Trbovich said that a repeat of the funding grants next year would result in program cuts and layoffs of staff hired to deal with the most problematic of the special education students currently in the system. Competitors from Raglan, Uxbridge win Survivor stunt Two Durham Region students have come out on top as the final "sur- vivors" in a contest held at this year's Canadian National Exhibition. Lisa Wonnacott, 20, of Raglan, met the chal- lenge of staying in a Ford Windstar van with nine other contestants for the entire 18-day run of the Ex. Known as Lil' Lisa during her interviews with the sponsoring radio station, the massage therapy student was one of 10 contestants who jammed the van for the spectacle. Ms Wonnacott, a Sir Sandford Flemming stu- dent, won the mini-van after fans of the radio sta- tion voted her as the top survivor. The contestants were only allowed out of the van for brief breaks of I5 minutes every three hours during their ordeal. To top off the prize, the radio station agreed at the last moment to pay the sales tax on the van as well. Meanwhile, 20-year- old Adam Doyle of Uxbridge, a University of Waterloo student, came out second in the sur- vivor contest and won a trip to Costa Rica. Known as Grizzly Adam because he declined to shave for the marathon stunt, the good-natured Uxbridge resident cheered for his fellow competitor when the winner was announced. Both contestants told . media they had one goal after the 18 day van sit- in: A shower. News or events to report? Call The Weekend Star: 985-7383