Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 5, 2001, Winnipeg, Manitoba As education Winnipeg free March information of me red River Valley a Jim la daily television Dtta radio updates web resort Feefe and links flout level fete trials l ii bulletins outreach and education recovery and restoration Caldwell considers cutting trustee ranks school Board teleconferencing also studied by Nick Martin Turie in to Prairie Public television for five minute weeknights at i 1 test Riverwatch is a cooperative by Prairie Public television and North Dakota it Totea by the Otto i Bremer v education minister Drew Caldwell is consid ering reducing the number of school trustees and creating Large wards within Rural school divisions in time for the october 2002 municipal he May also Amend the Public schools act to allow geographically Large divisions to conduct school Board meetings by Tele conferencing to save All things Are on the table said who has Given school boards until april 20 to report on their Progress toward that has been raised to me by a number of to Start reducing the number of Manitoba has about 440 school 80 per cent of them in Rural areas representing fewer than half the students in the last school Divi Sions spent million on trustee expenses and a division can have five to 11 although Urban boards in Winnipeg and Brandon have seven or nine Winkler based Garden Valley school Divi Pine Creek in Beausejou based and rolling River in Minnedosa have Turtle River with 903 Stu dents in eight schools has 10 its one of those things they need to discuss with their com said Carolyn executive director of the Mani Toba association of school she said some Large Rural boards Date Back to when individual schools run by local residents were incorporated into school Duhamel said merging Divi Sions or cutting trustees wont produce significant but could improve services to Stu the Only Way you save Money in education is by increasing class sizes and closing Mast has been studying Ontario example of teleconferencing school Board meetings in geographically Large Ontario requires Only two trustees and the senior administrator to be physically present in a location accessible to members of the scattered Over enormous Manitoba Frontier and francophone school divisions spent More than million on their trustees last amalgamation of geographically Large divisions could produce Board meetings requiring huge mileage expenses and overnight accommodation for Duhamel theres a different dynamic when you meet face to she Well certainly be going Forward to the government to talk about it int addressed in the Public schools it might be challenged by the Public in the Frontier superintendent Gor Don Shead said his 10 trustees travel from communities such As Norway South Island Lake and Cranberry Portage to monthly meetings in Winnipeg that usually last All Day and sometimes two though two meetings each year Are held in the Frontier already uses teleconferencing for staff meetings and some Board com it could be Shead though it would affect the nature of discussion and staff presenta you cant have a teleconference that lasts All to the Bone francophone students funding adds Bill divisions merger plans hit hurdle by Nick Martin i am Ivor announcing the Dodge truck our most powerful lineup of trucks on the Road invite the Competition to go head Ohead on Price and its Gonna be lease for 338 a month for 36 plus Dow payment or equivalent Trade and Security Deposit freight lease for 398 a month for 36 plus Dow payment or equivalent Trade and Security Deposit freight 2001 Dodge Dakota club cab sport 4x4 the Selling pickup in its 24b package v6175hp engine 4speed automatic transmission air conditioning Speed control tilt steering heavy duty Shock absorbers 15 aluminium wheels floor Mats next generation dual air bags complimentary tank of fuel powertrain coverage plus Roadside assistance 2001 Dodge Durango sport 4x4 car guides Best buy award 26b package includes v8 235hp engine next generation Multi Speed automatic transmission air conditioning Speed control it steering Power next generation dual air bags keyless Remote entry front rear floor Mats rear stereo cassette 3rd Row seating heavy duty suspension 15 aluminium we complimentary tank of fuel powertrain coverage plus Canadas Truci Stop Point Kiln plus Only at your neighbourhood jeep retailer May rat to wept or Grad mat and Toper maj Only m ill raw i Stock 2001 relate raw Best to Reuple code Saride May be Cessay w Shuffi Nisto two to Wideaw no Tytek based in a 36mmth lease Lor the 2001 vehicle equipped u Dodge Datu jul Ziselm 337 Brof Finni Stoi Kumst w Dakota Kilometres ate limited to charts of for Noesi see Reulla to Artawa in Lac 11mm Imo Cut it once on fused Costi in pit on Neon j1000 Cash allowance on Purchase of vehicle eur Hidani Chrysler Neon offer irk of a Monitto Uceny by Dies Tuhlei Canidate Canida i a to Tolly mined subs Daliy of Vuk my Toh h i i i Oulga i Dodge jeep i jeep a quirk in the Way francophone students Are funded in the province has thrown an unexpected annual hurdle into amalgamation plans for Morris Macdonald and red River school Divi the two divisions were moving toward a merger even before education minis Ter Drew Caldwell issued an edict that he wants fewer school divisions by the 2002 general now the two divisions have crunched the numbers on the Money they would owe to the division Colaire Franco and they dont like the theres an Issue that relates to the a Sam Morri Macdonald Sec Retar treasurer Denis Lemay we would have to give them any potential savings from amalgamation would be blown right out of the francophone schools and students Are scattered throughout Divi Sions turn Over taxes to the francophone division for each local student attending francophone based on the aver age property assessment per student in that school that a huge problem for Morri Mac Donald and red Lemay Morri Macdonald is three times the size of red but it has just 30 francophone school division students and an average assessment last year of per costly Bill tiny red River has about 500 kids attending francophone and an average assessment of Only per combining the two divisions would produce 530 francophone students at an average assessment of More than and Nail the newly merged ratepayers with a Bill for More in fees to be paid to the francophone Divi Morri Macdonald superintendent Patricia Macdonald said the francophone division was willing to but the provincial education department has so far refused to allow school Divi Sions to reach their own agreements out Side the provincial funding it Hast reached my desk Cald Well said lats last week when asked about the potential Hes told school divisions throughout Manitoba to report by april 20 on their amalgamation Well have a thorough Dis Cussion on the implications province were still optimistic we can push for a Resolution on the a Sam said whose division already con tracts out administrative services to run red River school the Issue could affect other potential amalgamation discussions under Way across particularly among divisions with High francophone popu lations Neighbour red by divisions with few francophone a ;