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THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2007 THE NEW TANNER 11 CLEARING AUCTION SALE Machinery, Industrial, Electrical, Electronic & Household Goods for Vern McArthur SATURDAY, JULY 21ST 2007 10:00AM 12540 Hwy 25 ABOUT 3KMS SOUTH OF ACTON, 8KM NORTH OF MILTON Second Hand Shop ?????????????????????????????? ?????????? ????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????? Open Tuesday - Saturday 11-5 Sundays & Mondays By Chance CASH OR CHEQUES ONLY PLEASE. MORE STUFF ARRIVING DAILY GREAT PRICES!!!! ????????????????????? ??????????? ROCKWOODThe Miller EWAG NEWS Stratford Trip - The EWAG wheelchair accessible bus will be going to the Stratford Festival on October 2. Sound like fun? The group will be attending the 2 p.m. performance of Oscar Wildes An Ideal Husband. We have secured an excellent ticket price, so we are able to offer the whole trip for $65/person. Spaces are guaranteed to go quickly, so call Mary Ellen today at 519-833-0087 to book your seat. July Sale at EWAG Thrift Shop Pop into EWAGs Rockwood Thrift Shop and take advantage of our 2-for-1 sale throughout the month of July. Come in and see all the great bargains we have on shorts, T-shirts, sun dresses and childrens clothing. Shop early for best selection. Fun for the Family All Summer Did you know that EWAGs Ontario Early Years programs run all summer long? We offer outdoor play, fi eld trips, regular play groups, special events and much more. A great way to meet new people while your children interact with other children. Programs are offered for children age birth to six years. For more information and to be added to our mailing list, please call Cara at 519-856-2113. Location and Hours - The EWAG Community Support Services offi ce and thrift shop is located at 106 Church Street and is open Monday Thursday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Thrift Shop is also open Fridays and Saturdays from noon until 4 p.m. We offer a variety of Government forms, laminating, copying, faxing services and much more. Call for more information at 519-856-2113. We are also on the web at www.e-wag.on.ca By Rebecca Ring The Upper Grand District School Board unanimously passed its budget. There was no dissension and no delegations from the pub- lic, says Superintendent of Finance Janice Wright. The budget is balanced and meets the provincial requirements for classroom size, admin- istration and governance, special education and capital funding spending, and is considered sustainable, bar- ring any substantial decline in enrolment. The total budget is es- timated at $285,371,680, with of an operating budget of $265,192,087 and a capi- tal budget of $20,179,593. Expenditures are equal to revenues as required by the Education Act. The board did not have to use funds from its work- ing reserves to balance this years budget as it did in 06/07. This is due in part to receiving a funding increase of 5.22% from the province, which totals $13 million. Last year the grant came too late to make staffi ng adjust- ments so the board used the reserves to balance the bud- get. Wright says that 80% of the budget goes to staffi ng costs, so staffi ng levels are usually adjusted to match projected enrolment. Staffing levels will be maintained, despite the projected decline in enrol- ment of 341 pupils across the board. Wright says the trend throughout Ontario is a steady decline in enrol- ment, particularly in rural areas and downtown cores. Guelph/Eramosa is expe- riencing this trend with a decline at Eramosa Public School. Meanwhile, the ur- ban Rockwood Centennial School is expected to steadily grow and is overcrowded. This sparked a boundary review resulting in pupils moving from Rockwood to Eramosa, beginning Septem- ber 2008. Other highlights include maintaining support for el- ementary schools with larger numbers of at risk students by providing primary suc- cess teachers and programs; increased support for staff development and reestablish- ment of the computer refresh program, which keeps hard- ware current; slight increases to school budgets; no de- creases in school offi ce or cleaning and maintenance staff; support for the reorga- nization of the Information Technology department. Wright says that an ongo- ing challenge is meeting the provinces mandated primary class size while accommo- dating the rest of the student population and programs. JK to grade three classes must have no more than 20 pupils, with 10% allowed up to 23. To meet these re- quirements, the province provides funds to hire teach- ers and build additions, such as the six classrooms under construction at Rockwood Centennial. According to Wright, the budgets for each school de- pend on its enrolment as funds are allocated on a per pupil basis. The Upper Grand District budgeted a total of $4.2 million for all the schools - elementary and secondary. Last year the total pupil population was 32,694. Projected enrolment for next year is 32,353. Future enrol- ment is determined using planning software and input from principals. A press release from the Board states, There are challenges ahead in future budget years due to the trend of declining enrolment, increases in the cost of op- erating schools due to rising utility costs, and the defi cit that still exists in the trans- portation budget despite the additional grants received. In addition, education is becom- ing more centralized at the provincial level with funds assigned to specifi c govern- ment priorities, which mean less opportunity for the board to introduce or enhance local priorities and programs. School Board approves budget LOUNGING FELINE: If anyone knows how to enjoy the lazy, hazy days of summer, it is a cat. This cat, Margie, is camping at Rockwood Conservation Area with her brother Donny, and human family, the Sajkowskis. Rebecca Ring Photo