News TheReview Wednesday, June 12,1991 — A4 Saanich school district funding falls $16 million short> Over $6 million in capital fund- ing to the Saanich school district announced Friday is one-quarter of the $24 million required, board chairman Graham Hill said. The greatest disappointment was the lack of capital funding to expand Claremont Secondary, although the grant did include money to purchase land for the secondary school expansion. Hill said further grants might be available through Go B.C. and the Commonwealth Games if work on Claremont’s expansion is under- way this year. A additional $8 million is required for the Claremont expan- sion, Hill said. The $6,456,783 in capital grants was announced by Saanich and the Islands MLAs Mel Couvelier and Terry Huberts Friday. At the same time, local schools are cutting back their projected operating budgets by 10 per cent in order to prevent a budget deficit. “There’s a certain irony about it all,’ Hill remarked. ““We’re expanding the facilities in the district yet we’re having to cut back on the services to students.” Included in the $6.4 million grant is over $1.7 million to build an expansion to Deep Cove Ele- mentary. The expansion will increase the school’s capacity to 450 students from 325 students and remove the need for portable classrooms at the school. The provincial government also allocated funds to purchase prop- erty for a new 250 student elemen- tary school in the Deep Cove area. To meet the need for increased secondary school enrollment, $501,000 has been allocated to plan an addition to Stelly’s Secon- dary school, Couvelier announced. The addition will increase that school’s capacity to 950 students from 700 students. An additional $280,000 is allo- cated to upgrade fire detection systems and intruder alarms at several schools, Couvelier added. A $2.9 million addition to Loch- side Elementary school, doubling the capacity of the school to 350 Students, was announced by Huberts. An additional $84,000 has been allocated to plan an addition to Prospect Lake Elementary, which will increase that school’s capac- ity by 75 students. Hill said the funding for Pro- spect Lake Elementary was a wel- come surprise and that the north end of the district was well-served by the proposed projects. Huberts also announced the allocation of $178,000 to purchase two new school buses. He said the local construction industry would also benefit from Couvelier leadership statement supports provincial tax at border The provincial government’s decision not to tax goods bought by B.C. residents in the U.S. is “the wrong decision for the wrong reason,” Socred leadership candi- date Mel Couvelier said in a policy statement Sunday. “The imposition of the tax would be unpopular, but not improper,” he said. “The accident of geography should not provide a taxation escape mechanism. Hundreds of thousands of British Columbians can not take advantage of this government-manipulated loop- hole.” Baby birds killed by bush clearing The clearing of bush bordering Cromar Road killed baby birds nesting in the branches, North Saanich council learned June 3 from resident Stephanie Steel. In a letter to council, Steel deplored the clearing of bush by municipal crews during nesting season and suggested such work, if it must be done, be carried out in the winter. “Tt disturbs me now each ume | take my daily walk to see the mutilated remains where the cars have run over the defenseless young birds along that road,”’ Steel wrote. “Tt’s bad enough that this sort of cosmetic surgery that leaves bare scraped ground is done at all and it signifies a lack of caring for wild- life or nature in an area where it should be our pride and joy,” Steel added. Mayor Maurice Chazottes said he would check with the munici- pal engineering department to see if the bush clearing could not be done before or after the nesting season. ““T take this letter very seri- ously,” he said, adding that he would respond to Steel’s com- plaint. Couvelier says there is a sound reason for collecting provincial sales tax from “‘big ticket” pur- chases. “While the sums of money are relatively small, the principle is significant,” says the policy state- ment. Taxation decisions are never popular, but governments are elected to “make tough decisions in the interests of intellectual hon- esty,” Couvelier says in the state- ment. Earlier this month, federal Reve- nue Minister Otto Jelinek unveiled a plan whereby Canada Customs would inform the provincial gov- ernment of U.S. purchases by B.C. residents. A six-per-cent tax would have been levied after purchasers returned home. However, Finance Minister John Jansen said the province does not intend to set up a bureaucracy for handling the information for- warded by Canada Customs. a ~<< the education funding. between the salary increases and Increasing the pupil-teacher Both he and Couvelier stressed the funding diminishes,” Stefaniak _ ratio will cut district teaching staff the provincial government’s com- __ said. by eight per cent. = mitment to education. =e School superintendent Hank NOTARIES PUBLIC Stefaniak said the district needs E-7819 East Saanich Road, Saanichton 7 eee Seca the | Open Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00; Saturdays 10:00 - 3:00 Siete oleased by INS ares Evening appointments available that have been approved and by the 652-4321 indications of support for coming : : years,” Stefaniak said. ; Please note our number — We’re not in the book! Although the district is now CHARMAINE L. VAN TINE KATHERINE A. McVIE having to make cuts in its operat- ing budget, Stefaniak hoped that situation is temporary. The ® The school board voted May 13 Review to cut each school’s operating budget by 10 per cent and to = increase the pupil-teacher ratio in order to prevent a projected $2.66 million budget deficit. The projected deficit was caused in part by this year’s settlement between the district and the Saa- nich Teachers’ Association, which included a 14 per cent wage increase Over two years. “I certainly hope that the gap @ YOU @ K.D. KNOTTY PINE has moved... Sma SSE W : \\ \\ nee’ oe S4S (surfaced 4 sides) 1x12.........65¢lin. ft. @ K.D. CLEAR CEDA Rough 1x6.......$1.03/lin. ft. “WE DELIVER” cae ae wv our new address is ~ @ ARDWOOD INC. 97 26 - Ist Street i ane SAS BOWEREE next to Squid Roe | “You’ve come a long way baby!” GRAD 7 eo) PORTRAIT SPECIAL Remember this precious moment in your child’s career with a professional portrait at a super special price. 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