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At school board meeting Councillor objects to 'bias' A meeting held to in- form councillors of six local municipalities on school funding issues, did not give any information to Councillor George MacDonald, the Midland representative says. The meeting was held in Midland council chambers last Thursday night. It was set up by Tay Township in response to a Simcoe County Board of Educa- tion letter from Chairman Joan Jensen, asking municipalities to oppose the pooling of commer- cial and industrial taxes for distribution by the province instead of by municipalities. The board represents the public schools. In the letter, the Simcoe County board opposes pooling of commercial and industrial assessment. It is now collected at the local level and used primarily for public school funding. The dif- ference is made up by provincial grants to the separate schools. MacDonald objected to what he considered to be the public school system bias in the meeting. A videotape shown, from the Ontario Public Education Network, Government proposal would raise taxes, boards insist A provincial govern- ment proposal to pool commercial and_ in- dustrial assessment of education taxes would raise property taxes, education groups say. A panel of two-Simcoe County school board members and a Penetang Secondary School teacher issued the warn- ing at a meeting in Midland council chambers last Thursday. Gail Kingsley represented the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation and assistant director, Bill Truelove came on behalf of the Simcoe County Board of Education, along with trustee Wendy McKenzie. Twenty North Simcoe councillors and staff turned out at Tay Township's invitation. Tay set up the meeting in response to a letter from Chairman Joan Jensen of the Simcoe County Board of Education. The letter warns the provincial government is _after municipal taxes: the payments businesses and industries make towards education. Municipalities collect these taxes, which now go mainly to the public school system. The separate school system is supported to a larger ex- tent by provincial grants. Under the proposal, the province, not' the municipalities, would collect and distribute the funds. There's' no guarantee municipalities would get back as much by Louise Wanless Special Report A board meeting of the Simcoe Centre Women's Institute was held Jan. 29 at the OMAF building in Elmvale with Eva. Tuck presiding with 19 present including Muriel Usher, secretary, Cora Sweeney, treasurer, the district directors of 11 of the 13 branches and Susan Leu- ty, rural organizations specialist. Fun day will be March 9 in the Lions Club hall on the 7th concession of Flos Township and begins at 12:30 p.m. with a pot luck luncheon. Each member is asked to bring their own cutlery and mug and $1 to defray ex- penses and each branch is asked to bring a draw prize valued from $2.50 - $3. There will be 10 minutes of entertainment as they put in, the groups say. Kingsley said the pro- vincial share of public education spending shrank from 55 per cent of total costs in 1975 to only 36 per cent in 1987. In addition, the provin- cial government spent 15.1 per cent of its budget on education in 1975 and only 10.4 per cent in 1987. Midland Mayor Ted Symons said the meeting was "not intended to be a province-bashing ses- sion."' Although nothing is inevitable but death and taxes, at least 'death doesn't get any worse every time the legislature meets,"' he joked. He wondered how much is known about government plans. Kingsley said a govern- ment report recommend- ed local school boards lose their control. All funds should go to the province for distribution. "It doesn't say how," she noted, "'That's the problem: We don't know how it (the money) will be sent back." Pat Armstrong, deputy reeve of Port McNicoll said needs, such as gar- bage, are competing with education. "Tf education gets a big- ger slice of the pie, where are you going to request it be cut from other areas?" he asked. Kingsley said education isn't taking money from other areas; other areas are taking money away from education. 'That upsets me," she said. provided by each of seven branches: Pine Ridge, Waverley, Allenwood, Minesing, Van Vlack, New Flos and Centre Vespra. Everyone is welcome. The district will have a tea room at the Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival April 8 and it will be upstairs at the Flos- Elmvale Public Library. In charge are Saurin in the a.m. and Pine Ridge in the p.m. The hostesses are Edenvale from 10 a.m. Stes 1prm)jj sand Weybridge from 1-4 p.m. Eva mentioned what a great success Home Day was Jan. 11 at the Con- tinental Inn. The pro- gram was excellent and well attended. Susan Leu- ty was the lucky winner of the draw for the Royal Doulton figurine. Ethel Foster and Marg Baker were the chairpersons for the day. WI publications were Midland Councillor Bob Jeffery said they need to say no, they're not go- ing to stand for it. "If we don't, it's going to be a very Black day in this we Wool working area." "Excuse the pun," he added. MPP Ken Black was not at the meeting. MPP Al McLean said he came "to find out why I'm get- ting 30 letters a day over this pooling issue." 'McLean said the key issue is to increase the percentage of provincial education funding. Elmvale 4-H member Marcella Desroches is taking part in the Working with Wool course now in its third week. She is shown knitting, one aspect of the comprehensive study of sheep and their products. Simcoe Centre WI meet on display as was a new book Cooking Collections available from the W.1. of- fice for $12 plus $1.65 postage. ACWW's 19th triennial conference is to be held in Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 22 - Oct. 1. This year ACWW is celebrating its diamond jubilee (60th birthday). On the nominating committee for the district executive 1989 - 90 are Minesing (chairman), New Flos and Pine Ridge. The district annual was discussed. It is to be hosted by Centre Vespra May 25 in the new Anglican Church in Midhurst. It was agreed to have the theme sug- gested by FWIO,- "Women in the Environ- ment." Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Mines- ing is to be in charge of the "In Memoriam." If there have been any deaths in your branch, please contact Charlotte Merrett, RR 2, Barrie, L4M 4585, telephone 737-2062 and give some information about the deceased. Also contact Nora Knuff if you know of so- meone who has been a member for 50 years. The cost of the noon luncheon is $7 and each branch should let Bernice Patterson, 5 Lawrence Ave., Anton Mills, telephone 726-1223, know how many of their members are planning to attend (at least one week previously). The roll call is to be answered by "'A sugges- tion or hint women can use to protect the en- vironment." Each branch is asked to bring the following: Pennies for Friendship, a donation to the Loaf of Bread project and $1 per person to help ACWW celebrate its 60th anniversary (one cheque made out to the treasurer will suffice if it is accom- panied by a _ note designating how much to go to each) and a list of the branch officers to be- given to the secretary. The district would also like a donation from each branch to help cover the expenses of the DA. This mays -be:* sent -- in beforehand. There will be a workshop on the environ- ment and Susan Leuty of- fered to help with this. The new WI sign was put up at the end of December and may be seen on Highway 27 at the south entrance to Elmvale. The month of June has been chosen WI month and at that time all bran- ches are encouraged to hold special meetings, parties etc. made the point that the public school system is open to all, regardless of financial status, race, or religion. It further noted "There's no question that the additional cost of ex- tending funding to separate secondary schools has added urgen- cy to the government's financial problems."' MacDonald noted at the meeting that, as an elected representative, he represents both public and separate school sup- porters. He cannot sup- port any action that does not include both groups. In a telephone conver- sation, he notes, ""They were disputing the separate school funding, to which OPEN is oppos- ed. They were saying if the separate schools weren't getting funding, they (the public schools) would get more funding." "They should not be coming out strong against separate schools. The two systems are recognized in Ontario," he added. All provincial funding should be considered, ac- cording to MacDonald. "All transfer payments and education grants are not what they should be," he says. He noted the pro- vince is putting more responsiblity on municipalities to raise taxes. He agrees municipalities should be objecting. "T would not shy away from going to Queen's Park at any time,"' Mac- Donald says. If the ad- ministrative directors from both school systems came to town hall and said, "'Let's go rattle the sabres at Queen's Park," he says he would go along with it. Gail Kingsley, provin- cial councillor of the On- tario Secondary School Teachers 'Federation, responded to the objec- tions MacDonald made at the meeting, ""We aren't in-any way trying to take anything from any school system," she insisted. She said the public system was promised it would not be affected by separate school funding. She added "If we're to have two systems, there has to be dollars there for both systems." Simcoe board trustee Wendy MacKenzie assured MacDonald, "We are not throwing barbs at the separate school system." Nor at the pro- vincial government. They want to present "a clear message to the public and_ separate systems and government that they are held in high esteem." Education's loss of priority with the pro- vincial government is what is "disturbing to us,"' she noted. Midland Mayor Ted Symons, who chaired the meeting, said the tape was shown "'to hear the OPEN position and get information. We weren't going to draw any con- clusions. There's more to be pumped into the equa- tion before you and I make up our minds,"' he said. Nov. election) delay. 27 council meeting. Tiny pays Penetanguishene is the last member of the North Simcoe Waste Management Association to approve $227,167 in levies and legal costs from Tiny Township. The money is the result of a provincial court decision in 1987 that the township was still a member of the NSWMA from Sept. 1985 to Dec. 1987. The previous Tiny council (before the maintained it withdrawn from the NSWMA in 1985, but the association argued that wasn't the case and Tiny had to pay its share of the costs. Under the new council, Tiny Township agreed to drop its appeal to the Ontario Supreme Court in return for no interest (about $24,000) being charged for the Because the NSWMA isn't under one jurisdiction, all municipalities involved must each accept the motion individually. Penetang is expected to do so at its Feb. NSWMA secretary Yvon Gagne said Tiny would still be welcomed back if it pays its share of the expenses from 1987-1989 (about $150,000) when they of- ficially left the organization. "If Site 41 is chosen over Tiny's objec- tions (in the upcoming environmental hearings in March), they'll have to buy back in, in order for them to have a place to put their garbage." had KOU LN OEE T Gee? 4