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Radical ideas may cut school costs

Brain-stormers also

look at new revenue

By JENNIFER LANG CLOSE MORE schools, move to a four-day school week, and introduce corporate sponsorship — those are just some of the suggestions a special bud- get task force has for cash-strapped School District 82.

The district is grappling with an anticipated $4-5 million deficit for the coming school year, forcing a range of cuts in order to balance the budget. _

Acommittee has come up with a- list of more than 50 possible budget cuts ~ and revenue generating ideas — toexplore. | |

Ideas include reducing the number of school’ trustees, dropping elective

courses, recruiting foreign students and creating “magnet” schools for First Nations students.

“The reconfiguration committee was struck to gather, sugeest and brainstorm as many ideas to look into to save money,” chair Rob Greenwood said. “This is the brain-stormed list.”

The group, which included students, teachers, school staff, parents, admin- istrators, First Nations reps and even MLA Roger Harris, held an_ initial brainstorming session in September.

And in October, the reconfiguration committee grouped the ideas accord- ing to category, Greenwood said.

Those ideas and suggestions have now been referred to school district standing committees for further review.

Last week, trustees agreed to the

“wLock and load _

TEAM POSSUM Ladge, led by Russell Seitenrich and Dr. Mi- chael Feist, prepare to launch another hapless pumpkin into orbit at the Pumpkin Fling Nov. 3 at the rifle range. Their giant surgical tubing slingshot was the hands dawn winner of the Rotary event. The Jack ‘o Lanterns routinely flew 80 metres before blowing apart in a gooey orange splat. Competing

formation of additional ad hoc com- mittees to investigate some of the sug- gestions, including corporation spon- sorship, user-fees for extra-curricular activities, and selling value-added products made in school classes.

The district’s operations commiltee, meanwhile, will investigate the poss- ibility of additional school closures along with other potential cost-cutting measures like getting rid of school dis- trict-owned theatres, including the R.E.M. Lee Theatre.

The committees will each report back to the reconfiguration committee at a special meeting in February, leaving the district enough time to no- tify people about school closures, trustees say.

The board will have other difficult

against Possum were Skeena Valley Rotarians, who built a trebuchet. The medieval-style siege weapon consisted of a swinging iog powered by a 600-plus pound counterweight. Sometimes it worked. Other times its sling hurled the pump- kins straight up or backwards. Locals paid $1 each to see their pumpkins flung and explode in a pile of pulp. JEFF NAGEL PHOTO

decisions to consider, as well,

One of the most controversial is moving to a shorter schoo! week.

In September, the school district’s education committee heard a presen- tation on the pros and cons of the four- day week from Caledonia Senior Sec- ondary vice principal Cam MacKay.

Education committee chair Marj Brown said teenagers tike the idea of a three-day weekend so they can sleep in or go to work but there’s no assur- ance moving to a four-day school week has any benefit at all for at-risk students,

Brown told the board last week there’s no data on the negative im- pacts on students when it comes to a four-day school week,

The option, tried successfully in

some American school districts and launched this year in Grand Forks, de- finitely saves money.

But there’s a lack of reliable infor- mation on potential negative impacts on students - and the communities af- fected — parlicukarly when it comes to so-called “at risk” students.

Parents with children who rely on schools for lunch programs, for exam- ple, may be reluctant to voice opposi- tion to the four-day week, Brawn said.

“Often, these are the people who are least able to stand up and say, '’m sorry, I don’t have that much money. ] can't afford to buy my kid lunch,’”

Brown also told the board it might mean some students who now get on buses as early as 7:15 a.m. might have to be at the bus stop even earlier.

Gov't to take

| new bite out of schools

By JENNIFER LANG SCHOOL DISTRICTS with dropping student enrolment may see part of their operating bud- gets clawed back part way through the school year,

Coast Mountains School District official Rob Greenwood warned trustees the education ministry plans to take a second enrolmeit snap shot this coming February, a move that’s just a trial scenario for now.

But Christy Clark has indicated the second en- rolment snapshot may be introduced permanently in the next few years, said Greenwood, who heard the education minister speak at an aboriginal education conference Nov. 4.

Clark told delegates if school districts lost stu- dents during the year, their budgets could be readjus-

‘ted to reflect the loss of students,

School districts already provide the ministry with a Sept. 30 enrolment tally.

This official student count determines how

City Olympic bid support |

much budget money a dis- trict receives each year. The B.C. School Trustees Association says enrolment in rural school districts dropped by 6,000 Students this year - nearly

double expectations.

The current drop in en- rolment has translated into $130 million less for rural school districts,

The Coast Mountains School District lost about 450 students over the past year.

It’s lost 37 students since September, bringing the enrolment count to just 6,563, which is down from the 6,600 recorded on Sepi. 30.

Greenwood is in the process of tracking missing students,

Of 66 students who have left school, 19 have moved out of the Coast Mountains school district entirely.

Another 18 moved to a different school in the dis- trict. But 29 have left school entirely.

Greenwood plans to provide a breakdown on ° those 29 students by the next board meeting, He

‘hopes to determine how

many were adults, who were high school students and who were attending school part time before they withdrew.

With more data, the school district may be able to take steps to encourage them to come back to school.he said.

“They tend ta be fram the senior highs,” he added.

is up for sale, forum hears

By JEFF NAGEL THERE was more agreement than argument on many issues when candidates for city council hit the stage to answer questions here last week.

Around 140 people turned up for the Nov. 5 all candidates forum, sponsored by the Ter- race Standard.

Most of the 10 candidates agreed council should be prepared to support B.C.’s Winter Olympic bid if Victoria gives a firm commit- ment to put up money for the proposed multi- plex or improve northwest roads.

“The provincial government is saying that they want to give us something for us to go ahead and say yeah we'll support the 2010 Olympics,” Ron Vanderlee said, adding he hopes Victoria will put up money for the mul- tiplex.

Lynne Christiansen said pledges of highway construction money in the regions has so far been vague, adding a “firm commitment” for this arca is necessary; =. ae

“We have to make sure we're getting our”

fair share if it is going to happen,” she said. Councillor David Hull was the only candi- date to balk at trading Olympic support for provincial cash. “I really hope the provincial government

‘

Election coverage m Council hopefuls want to tap Alcan power, A12 m@ School trustee candidates de- bate corporate sponsorship, A11 m Meet the school trustee and mayoral candidates, AS

doesn’t run around British Columbia bribing communities in order to put on a world-class event,” Hull said. “The Olympics should be built on their own merits.”

He said upgraded roads and railways in the

region: are a better way to boost the northern -

economy than investing in a two-week event

in Whistler.

Marylin Davies said she continues to ques- tion Olympic costs, but says she hasn't come out against the Games. “There’s only one wallet,” she said. “If we are going to have ail the things that Whistler wanls then what are we going to lose? I just want some answers.”

Hull and several other candidates said cor- porate sponsorship and private-public parlner-

ships should be used to.cut or eliminate the :

cost of the multiplex for local taxpayers.

Vanderlee said he’d cap the amount charged to taxpayers at no more than half tlie total construction cost. .

No candidate pledged a new referendum on the multiplex to refresh the spending mandate the city says it got three years ago.

They were also questioned on how they’d handle the possibility of new big-box retailers - such as Wal-Mart — coming here.

“Box stores kill the little businessmen,”

_ said Rusty Ljungh. “I would look at it very ser-

idusly before | gave my okay to anything = ~~ Continued Pg. A2

Don't forget to vote

THOSE WHO can't vote this Saturday can do so today.

City hall is the place for an advance poll until & p.m. for both city council and school district can- didates.

Those people in Terraceview Lodge or in Mills Memorial Hospital will be able to vote at those two places this Friday, Nov. 15.

For everybody else, this Saturday, Nov. 16 is the regular voting day with polls opening at 8 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m.

Voting for city council and school district posi- tlons takes place at Clarence Michiel School. Rosswood Community Centre is also a location for school trustee voting. ;

Voters in Thornhill and other rural areas can choose their-school district trustee by voting either at Thornhill] Elementary, Mount Layton Hotsprings at Lakelse Lake or Anchor's Away Store in Usk.

Those who aren't on the voters list can register the polls, but should bring sufficient ID with

them. Cs