Long discussion awaits boundary review vote By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The trustees of the Halton District School Board anticipate a lot of discussion from the public before they vote on northwest Oakville elementary boundary changes. The boundary review has been a contentious issue for the area and it's the second such review since 2009. To help accommodate the public interest, trustees voted to increase the cap of 25 delegations for the upcoming March 20 special delegation evening. Already, more than 30 speaker requests have been made to the board for the meeting. The meeting will take place the night before the regular school board meeting. At the second meeting, trustees are scheduled to vote on the boundary review. The review was initiated in December in an effort to relieve accommodation pressures at two northwest Oakville schools: Palermo and Forest Trail, both of which have French Immersion programing. "The Oakville (review) has to deal with overcrowding at a couple schools, both of them being French Immersion centres and us having to deal with the shortfall in capacity in an area where there isn't room to build any 15 · Thursday, March 15, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com May Court Club raises $20,000 for program A scholarship program that helps high school students in Oakville further their education at post-secondary institutions raised more than $20,000 for the cause at a recent dinner. Since 1994, the May Court Club of Oakville has awarded more than 300 local students from the public and Catholic school boards with close to $350,000 in scholarships towards their postsecondary education. In 2011, $57,000 in May Court scholarships was awarded to 47 students. The May Court Club is a volunteer-run registered charity that awards scholarships to students in serious financial need and give back to their community through volunteer work. The scholarship funds are sent directly to the college or university where the student will attend. The seventh annual May Court Cap and Gown Scholarship Dinner was held last month CAP & GOWN: May Court Club of Oakville president Suzanne Allen, right, and last year's May Court Club scholarship recipient Doreen Bonsu attended the club's 7th annual Cap & Gown Dinner at Otello's Banquet Hall. MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER at Otello's Banquet and Conference Centre and featured speaker Doreen Bonsu. A graduate of Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School, Bonsu is a past recipient of a May Court scholarship and shared her story of how the bursary made a difference in her life -- she is currently in her second year at Wilfrid Laurier University majoring in history. Sponsors for the scholarship include The Goddard Group Foundation and MercedesBenz Oakville. "It is the kindness and support that the Club receives from the community that allows The May Court Club of Oakville to continue to make a difference in the lives of others," stated a press release. For more information, visit www.maycourt.ca. new schools," said board chair Don Vrooman. The director of education is recommending to trustees to approve an amended Scenario 24, as detailed in the boundary review process. The approval of the recommendation would result in several changes in the community. Forest Trail would continue as a singletrack FI school and Palermo would continue as a dual-track (English and French Immersion) school. However, Heritage Glen and Pilgrim Wood public schools would become dual-track schools in the coming year. The FI program would begin in primary grades in the first year and additional grades would be added in subsequent years at both schools. The recommendation would also result in several catchment changes at the four schools and others. School staff have outlined in their report that the community has been thoroughly engaged in the boundary review process, which has been faced with a number of challenges. The report goes on to state the recommendation does not address all the issues, but it does ease enrollment pressures at the two overpopulated schools. The recommendation also creates a more balanced enrolment at all area schools, the staff report said. Vrooman anticipates discussion over the issue at the March 21 meeting, expecting trustees to have a number of questions regarding the staff recommendations. We help kids overcome learning difficulties Chisholm Academy began operating as a Not-For-Profit School at the start of 2012, and recently had its first fundraising gala, as organized by the Chisholm Academy Parent Council. We especially appreciate the assistance given to us by our corporate sponsors. Their willingness to sponsor a not-for-profit school, in this economy, speaks loudly about the corporate culture and community involvement of these organizations. WE WISH A vEry SpEcIAl tHAnk you to: EvElEy IntErnAtIonAl Manufacturers Of Heavy Duty Suspension Systems And Axles HEnDErSon pArtnErS, llp Chartered Accountants o'connor MAclEoD HAnnA, llp Barristers & Solicitors www.eveley-int.com www.hendersonpartnersllp.ca www.omh.ca