WHflY ~~I RES, WENESAJ1'lJAl4,11989, PAGE 19 "88 REVIEW '88 REVIEW '88 REVIEW '88 REVIEW 688 REViW Murphy: Expect more portables, relocatables By Debbie Luchuk With ever increasing enrol- ments and the resulting accom- modation problems, the Durham Board of Education had an eventful, and sometimes frus- trating year. Lorna Murphy of Pickering, who replaced chair Sandra Law- son in the fall election, said the year was an eventful one for the board. "Bruce Mather's (director of education) resignation was a real surprise for us, and we will be sorry to see him go," she said. Recycling in schools, and growth in other programs such as co-operative education, were highlights of programming for the past year. A transportation policy was accepted by the board to ensure more equitable transportation for all students. But the board chose not to spend money to implement the policy as they considered the 198 budget. There were concerns about accommodation, as the board grappled with finding funds for new schools and for renovations to older ones; lack of funding and the use of portables and reloca- tables became a primary election issue addressed by candidates for trustee. Two new committees were app•oved in 1988: a multicul- tural advisory committee and a committee to look at changing the school year, Murphy said. All incumbent trustees were returned to office in the Novem- ber municipal election, with a few new faces added to reflect the increase in the school popula- tion. For 1989, Murphy identified several issues that the board must deal with. "The issue that is on everyone's mind now is the nego- tiations with the secondary tea- chers (contract discussions). We're talking with them tomor- row ( Tuesday, Jan. 3), and we're hoping that a strike can be aver- te d,"she said. "We're concerned about where students are going to go, and personally, I'm very concerned about approval for a secondary school in the west end ( Picker- ing. "We have five elementary schools to build, as well as major renovations; we will have more and more portables and reloca- tables." On the transportation polic Murphy said the board woulc have to make a decision to fund it this year or shelve it to yet another year in hopes of more funding. "It was the last board's philo- sophy that all students should have equal access (to transpor- tation). However there is a hefty cost. We will either have to put our money where our mouth is or shelve the policy." Murphy feels that several parents will press for a junioi kindergarten program in 1989, but it will be a major expense to implement the program. "It would be a major cost item because we need space. It would require the purchase of 80 por- tables, at $35,000 per portable," she said. Multicultural education was identified as a program that will be of increasing interest to the community and to the parents, and Murphy is looking forward to the work of the multicultural advisory committee. "Multiculturalism is a concern and interest that people have, and the board recognizes this. It (the committee) is a result of the changing nature of our com- munity. Lord's Prayer was eliminated in schools BELLWOOD public schoo opened celebration 'will be held Jan[ 14, 10 March 22 in east Whitby as rincipal a.m. to 1 p.m., to mark the opming of Jean Frolick addressed st dents. A Bellwood as a community school. Free Pre photo Education cen~tre decision in '8.9 By Debbie Luchuk New school construction, tea- cher shortage and additional fundin gfrom the Province were highlights of the 1988 separate school board year. "I think the (proposed) Whitby high school, the opening of St. Mary's, the allocation for the restructurin gof St. Jude's and meeting with local councils and MPPs in the area were the high- lights of the pastyear," Catherine Tunney; Whitby tee who was re-elected second term and elected to the new board for the next years. said trus- to a chair three The board plans to break ground for the Whitb high school and public school (as part of a "super block") this February. However, an objection has been launched that may hold up plans. "Our staff is in consultation with tho Town of Whitby staff, the de1loper and the archdio- cese," aid Tunney. "Officially there's nothing we can do but we're e ploring our options and hopingthat by February we can break ground.' Another achievement for the board was the construction of the Michael Blvd. school. The school will accommodate French language high school students in the new year for the balance of the 1988-89 school year; the, school will revert to a public school facility in 1989 when the French high school moves to a new facility in Ajax, Tunney said. The board last year bought Paul Dwyer high school in Osh- awa from the Sisters of St. Joseph. Issues facing the board in the next term, apart from the Whitby high school/ public school in the "super block," include acquiring qualified teachers to alleviate a teacher shortage; con- tinued improvement of dialogue with local and provincial govern- ment officials; a push for addi- tional funding, perhaps from in- dustrial and corporate assess- ments; and most urgently, the board must find accommodation for board and staff. Theeducation centre in Osh- awa has. a chronic shortage of space, and. the board has to decide whether to expand the current facility or find other means of accommodation such as renting, using empty classrooms or buyng more space. "A determination of accommo- dation must be made soon. A new conimittee has been formed and the staff has brought for- ward a report with housing cri- teria that we will be looking at in the next few weeks," Tunney said. LORD'S PRAYER In the fall, Whitby schools began to hold a period of silence during morning opening exerc- ises after a September decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal to strike down the regulation requiring school boards to hold prayers during opening exerc- ,ses. Whitby clergy members expressed dismay at the decision. CROSSING GUARDS Despite opposition from the Durham public school board and parents, Whitby council decided in July to remove school cross- ings where guards are unavail- able. The move came after it became increasingly difficult for the Town to hire guards. But by the start of school in September, the Town had hired enough guards to handle all the crossngs. ST. PAUL BOUNDARY The Durham separate school board grandfathered all students who were currently attending St. Paul's elementary school, retain- ing them at the school rather than transferring them to St. Michael's in Oshawa in March. Due to overcrowding at St. Paul's, the board considered sending many St. Paul students to the Oshawa school by Septem- ber 1988. New families moving into the area will, however, send their children to St. Michael's until more schools are built in Whitby to alleviate overcrowd- ing. NEW PRESIDENT In July, Gary Polonsky was named as the new president of Durham College effective Sept. 26, succeeding Mel Garland who retired. THREE TRUSTEES At an August meeting, the Durham separate school board changed trustee distribution so that Whitby would have three, rather than four, trustees elected in the fall municipal election. SCHOOL In March, the Durham separate school board applied to the Province for an advanced allocation to erect a school in Whitby for French first language students. The school became a reality when the board received funding and in July, received Whitby council approval for the school. COLLEGEADDITION Construction began in Septem- ber on a $5-million addition to Durham College to accommodate two lecture theatres and several classrooms. MORE PORTABLES The Durham Board of Educa- tion purchased 34 portables for the 1988-89 school year, and received grant approval from the Province for eight of them. The board has a total of 370 por- tables. TUNNEY CHAIRS BOARD Successful in her bid for a second term in the November municipal election, Whitby trus- tee Catherine Tunney was elec- ted in December to chair the Durham Region Roman Catholic Separate School Board for the next three years. No funding for immersion busing By Debbie Luchuk The Durham Board of Educa- tion wrestled with reduced in- come from grants, overcrowding and transportation issues in 1988. French immersion busing was recommended by the property and transportation committee of the board in February, after receiving a good deal of parental input through delegations and letters. The projected total cost of French immersion busing was $219,450 for September tc December 1988 and $624,960 for all of 1989. Although the board supported the policy, they could not fund the program and put off imple- mentation until 1989. The motion was spearheaded by Pickering trustee Lorna Mur- phy (who is now chairman) and trustees on the committee appro- ved the motion almost unani- mously, with Ian Brown (Whitby) and Cathy O'Flynn (Oshawa) among the few objectors. The whole board later appro- ved the French immersion bus- ing policy, with criteria for bus. ing to be decided by staff. On Feb. 22, trustees voted almost unanimously to approve a revised transportation policy, governing all of the transpor- tation in the board's area. The policy allowed for 1,100 more students to receive busing. There would be busing of ele- mentary students living more than 1.6 km from school and secondary students living more than 3.2 km from school. Special situations, such as for special education students, and busing for safety reasons were also provided for in the new policy. Four more Whitby schools received busing: F.M. Heard, Kathleen Rowe, Pringle Creek., and R.A. Hutchinson. Twelve more schools received busing in the region overall, with 29 more buses contracted by the board. Budgetary restrictions threa- tened the fledgling policy in April, but the battle was won by the chief proponents of the policy, Murphy and Heather Beveridge (Uxbridge). Mather resigned as director MATHER RESIGNS Bruce Mather, director of edu- cation for the Durham Board of Education, announced in June he would resign his position, effec- tive Feb. 17, 1989. In October, Pauline Laing, superintendent of curriculum services with the Halton Board of Education, was appointed by the Durham board to succeed Mather, effective Jan. 1, 1989. SCHOOLTAX The separate school tax in- crease for Whitby ratepayers was 8.4 per cent after the Durham separate school board approved its 1988 budget in May. SCHOOL TAX The budget passed in April by the Durham Board of Education brought a 9.19 per cent school tax increase for Whitby rate- payers in 1988. HIGH LEAD LEVELS In tests conducted as part of a CBC investigation, higher than acceptable levels of lead were found in drinking water in Whitby's new Bellwood school as well as in two other Durham Board of Education schools in November, attributed to lead sol- der used to connect pipes in new schools. Further tests yielded lower levels while flushing of the water systems in the schools was implemented to reduce levels of lead.