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THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, MARCH 28,2001 PAGE 5 Improvement of Brighton school prompts deferral of other projects • Trustees decide 'learning -environment' is a problem at l Murray i Centennial ■ Public School BY JENNIFER STONE i Staff Writer ? Improving the learning environ- [ment for students at a Brighton- ;area school will mean putting a ^number of school-based maintenance maintenance projects on hold in other parts of the local public school ■board. ; But the types of maintenance projects being deferred "have to [come second to the learning environment," environment," which is a problem at 'Murray Centennial Public School, •says Bob Willsher, Clarington 'trustee and chairman of the iKawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. "This school is 'telling us the learning environment '(as it stands) is not conducive to learning." I Projects falling by the wayside ;to finance upgrades at Murray Centennial school will be: $30,000 BOB WILLSHER 'Learning environment is not conducive to learning.' in carpeting and drapery split between between about 20 schools, $4,000 worth of fencing, site upgrades including including playground maintenance in the amount of $65,000, a $150,000 fire alarm upgrade at Cobourg District Collegiate Institute Institute East, a $25,000 washroom improvement improvement at a Peterborough school, and $150,000 worth of asphalt asphalt work. The approximately $424,000 needed to upgrade Murray Murray Centennial will come from the board's renewal budget. The non-site specific items, such as carpet and drapery, will result result in minor reductions across the board, says Mark Galonski, the board's facilities services controller. controller. When the school year budget was passed last year, trustees voted to renovate the school's open area, where 140 students arc taught by eight teachers with only partial partitions separating the classrooms. classrooms. Parents said last year that air quality and noise were major concerns at the school, which is in the eastern reaches of the board's jurisdiction. The recommendation from the board last spring was to tender the project and "come back to the board with a list of projects that would be deferred in this year's budget to pay for this particular project," says Bob Allison, the board's superintendent of finance. The deferred projects won't cause safety risks, say board staff. Even the planned upgrade to the fire alarms at Cobourg DCI East will not expose students "to any concerns," says Mr. Galonski. "The existing system works well, and we were looking at improving it." The contract to fix Murray Centennial Centennial was awarded to a Stirling company earlier this month. The tender price, which does not yet in clude a price reduction as a result of lower than estimated controls costs, is about $90,000 more than was originally expected, which raised alarm bells for some trustees. But Mr. Galonski says since initial estimate was done in October 2000 market forces have driven construction costs up. "It's a product of the market," agrees Mr. Willsher. "You can put all the best numbers together as an estimate... but ultimately, the market market will dictate" price. Murray Centennial is one of four opcn.concept schools currently currently operating within the board's jurisdiction. jurisdiction. Others include Orono and Enniskillen Public schools, and there is no imminent plan to change the open concept models currently in use. "As the former superintendent of schools (for Clarington), I did hear some concerns from school councils,With regard to noise levels," levels," says Superintendent of Administrative Administrative Services Joe Hubbard. But he adds he has not received any direct requests to change the schools' design. That surprises at least one board representative. "I went to an open concept school in Grade 6, and personally, I'm shocked there are any still around," says Port Hope trustee Erin Brown. Boyds Bear Special Event ONE DAY; ONLY! "<3raffitie...Put on your Happy Face," Resin and "Make 'em Laugh" Bearstone pin. 1 ) His nose lights up ~ a Boyd's first t A Gold Paw Dealer ViCCage Card & Qift Shoppe 19 'King St. £., Kewcastk (905) 987-3411 In BRIEF MARCH 28,2001 Teen charged ■after chase î COURTICE - iA brief police pursuit pursuit of a dirt bike (through residential residential Courtice -streets resulted in ig, number of ^charges against (an 18-year-old ;man early Sunday Sunday morning. ; According to 'Staff Sergeant 'Alan Mack, of the burham Regional îiPolice Clarington •Community Office, Office, an officer driving down (Trulls Road noticed noticed a motorcycle motorcycle with no lights passing in the tother direction. tThe officer said (there were two people on the (bike, one not (wearing a hel- 'met. The officer •.activated his cruiser's roof lights, but the motorcycle continued continued through the nearby residential residential area, eventually into a park. Staff Sgt. Mack says the officer officer discontinued the chase Tor the safety of the people people on the bike." Later, police saw two young men walking in the area of the incident, incident, and after a brief investigation, investigation, arrested one. John Slavin, 18, of Lawson Road in Courtice, is charged with flight from police, driving while disqualified, disqualified, breach of probation and dangerous dri- | ving. Tea time Spring is in j bloom with the Marnwood's An- j nual Daffodil Tea j and Bake Sale. The sale takes ! place on Friday, March 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. at 26 Elgin St., Bow- manville. The cost is $3 per person for the tea and children under 12 are free. Daffodil bunches are $5. 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