CtK busing issue not up for debate again

A second attempt to get Georgetown South busing for Christ the King School students considered as an annual exception to the Catholic school board's transportation policy, was quashed by trustees at their meeting last week. Halton Hills Trustee Irene McCauley said in an interview Wednesday, an attempt by a Burlington trustee, Bob Van de Vrande, to rescind the April 2002 motion, which gave permanent busing to the students based on safety hazards, was defeated in a 5-3 vote. The three trustees who voted to rescind the motion, McCauley said, have never been to Georgetown and have not seen the traffic and environment problems students face when walking to school each day. The four, who supported McCauley, she said, are longtime trustees like her (25 years) or are familiar with the area. So, the status quo prevails, McCauley said, and the issue will not be debated again. "We don't have to worry about this again." Ironically, Van de Vrande was the seconder of McCauley's original April 2002 motion. Earlier this month, the board's lawyer ruled that the motion was the board's policy, and staff's contention that busing for Georgetown South students should be considered as an annual exception to the transportation policy, was in error.