fa 4 a rs * ut ’ ‘be spent on English as a “expect from government in ‘ment figures out how much money lo give to school dis- - from other programs to spend on special needs. School cuts coming soon TRUSTEES OF the new Coast Mountain school district are finding out thal the provincial government gives as well as takes away, The district was formed last year by the merger of the Terrace and Kitimat districts under the theory there'll be cost savings by combining administrative and other ser- vices, Budgets for the school year now ending weren't touched in order to pay for severance packages given lo senior ad- ministrators who'll be out of work as a result of the merger. With a new budget year approaching, trustees last week were told they’ll have to chop at keast $750,000 and per- haps as much as $1.6 million from the spending of the old Terrace and Kitimat districts. But now education minister Paul Ramsey says he’s ac- tually increasing school spending by $34 million across the province, Rainsey said $27 million of that amount is coming from savings the province says will occur because of school dis- trict mergers, This new $34 million is to Second Language programs, adul basic education, and aboriginal and special needs programs, It’s not known how much of that money will be coming here. That’s confusing given the preview Coast Mountain trustees received last week of the kind of cuts they can George Neumann order to generate the expected savings. The per pupil grant is down by .7 per cent per student across the province. This grant is the main way the govern- tricts. ]t then gives extra money for special needs and aboriginal students, and makes allowances in the north for items such as snow removal. The reduction in the per pupil grant will mean a cut of at least $178,000 to $400,000 for the district, District secretary-treasurer Barry Piersdorff also predicts a decrease of $180,000 in the base grant given the com- bined district. And there might be $360,000 cut from money for special needs children, due to the amalgamation of the two dis- tricts. The district will have the option of finding money For example, right now the Terrace half of the school The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 5, 1997 - A3 ee | News In Brief Ferry schedule defended OFFICIALS FROM BC Ferries are defending the late slartup of their Inside Passage summer run from Van- couver Island to Prince Rupert, pointing out the actual number of sailings this year bas increased. Hoteliers and others have criticized BC Ferries for pushing back the summer mun start date from mid-May to June 1. ‘They argue the late start will deter tourists and result in miajor losses to northwest businesses. But Captain Mike Carter of BC Ferries says the cor- poration has added 14..nore sailings to Prince Rupert this season — a 10 per cent increase over last year. Those sailings will be in the fall, when Carter says the demand is greatest. Tour operators have been aware of the new schedule for more than six months and Carter says the response has been generally positive. BC Ferries is also looking into the possibility of run- ning ferries to Prince Rupert every day during the sum- mer, potentially doubling the number of visitors. Knowledge on-line THE KNOWLEDGE Network has added a new com- ponent to its educational broadcasts — a new web site. The sile means greater access to educational resources for teachers and students, and it’s an on-line complement to the Knowledge Network series, There’s also opportunity for interactive discussions. Parents will love this site, since il's very appropriate for children who love to surf You can visit them at www.ola.be.ca/knowledge Boulder blocks highway THE NISGA’A Highway was blocked last week when an enormous boulder crashed down on the road. No one was injured when the giant rock, measuring some three metres by seven metres, fell on the road at the 69 kilumetre mark near Lava Lake Feb, 26. ‘dt was huge,” said highways district manager Dan Stead. "None of our equipment cauld budge it.” The boulder had to be blasted and the road was opened after nearly seven hours. Stead says the falling rock was likely caused by the treeze-thaw cycle that is starling early this year. The cycle can be dangerous because water from melt- ing snow flows into cracks in rocks, then freezes aver- night aud expands — creating larger fissures and in- creasing the potential for an avalanche. ‘It's that time of year,’’ says Stead. “Rocks will be falling. But hopefully nothing that big.” Learn about Canada district is overspending on special needs by $690,000, said Piersdorff. In the eid and once the culting and spending has shaken down through the system, the intent is to put savings from mergers into services for students. “School district chainnan George Neumann questioned Ramsey’s $34 million announcement, saying it won't be enough to cover enrollment increases, “Enrollment: is - growing at three. percent,”’ Neumann, “but $34 million only represents a one per cent increase.”’ said. -- M@ Warding off measles ANDREW WHITING was among the 40 per cent of students at Northwest Com- munity College who gat a measles vaccine during a recent clinic pul on by the Skeena Health Unit. College students were being vaccinaled across the province in order to ward off an outbreak in red measles. Staff at the health unit was dcis- appointed with the low turn out, which they say is typical across the north. So far most of the new measles cases have been in the lower mainland, particularly at Simon Fraser University. But experts precict a third wave of the disease is com- ing. So the health unit.is holding another clinic for al| college students on March 7 . from 9:30-12 noon. People betweeri the ages of 20-29 who have a lot of contact” A NEW toll-free line kicked in this week to give in- formation about Canada’s history, institulions and ac- complishmients courtesy of the federal government. It’s being run by an agency called the Canada In- formation Office and is part of new moves by the fed- eral government on national unity issues. The toll-free number is 1-800-973-4636 and, in B.C., is open from 5 am. to 5 pan. The information office also has a web site al www infocan.ge.ca with the public are also invited ta the clinic, Order a 1998 Arctic Cat and get your choice of up to $600 in Cat Cash, or a limited edition Arctic Cat leather jacket, or special financing. We're serious. 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