The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

page 2e, Whltby Free Press, Wednesdlay, Septembor 14, 1994 School board chair -ures justi"ce committee: IMore truistee ivolvenientinpannn B Mike Kowalski Sehoboard trustees should have more control over future growth in their communities, "sy Durham Board of Education chair Patty Bowman. Provincial planning legislation must be amended te give school boards a efronger voice in shap- ing residential development pro- posais Bowman told a meeting of MPPs in Oshawa Iast week. Only by greater and earliej.. imput into. the planning process can education officiaIs he p pre- vent the probleme created by Urban sprawl, Bowman said. "T'he Durham Board of Educa- tion is not consulted in long-termi planning in this- community, BowTnan bluntly informed th justice committee of the Ontario eg*lature. As the largest developer of public service facilities it is "m perative» that echool boards be given the opjgortuni tot work in «partnership with t hose r,.. sible (municipal councils) for «monitoring deveiopment," Bow- man said. However, Queen's Park has continually turned *a deaf ear te thie request, she said. The justice committee was in Oshawa last- Wednesday to receive submissions on Bill 163 -- a package of measures aimed at revising various laws that now regulate or apply to local govern- ment, such as the Planning Act and Municipal Act. Hearings are being held across the province inte what Municipal Affaire Minister Ed Philip bas since World&War IL.n The proposed changes are in- tended te streamline the plan- ning process and give municipali- ties greater control over deveIop- ment, while adhering te, general A provincial guidelines, the govern- ment contends. *Accompanied by board lne Lewis Morgulis, Bowman* toid jthe committee that school boards have "no objection» to being one of «many partners" consuIted when a development proposaI comes before council. * Rather, their objections are concerned with the "timing» of the consultation, said the Whitby trustee. "The PlanningAct should reflect the fact hat residential development bas significant im- pact upon school boards and the quality of education in Ontario," said Bowman. «Unfortunately, the Planning Act does net provide school boards with an appropriaten role within the planning procees,» she claimed. Although echool boards must accomodate the pupils generated by development, they are net "empowered» te influence deve- lpetwhen the proposaIs are stîll in the initial planning stageS, Bowman said. "Rzesidential development i greatly influences how students are educated, where they are educated and what types of faci- lities they have access te, during their schooling," she said. <Budget dollare used for trans- porting students te holding échools cannot be used for educa- tionai purposes and opportuni- ties for extra-curnicular activities diminish "-;w.en pupi re ran- one of Ontario's fastest-growing boards, having experienced an enrolment increase of 23.per cent in the past decade, Bowman noted. The board now bas more than 12,500 students in 520 portables and during the next five years enrolment is projected to in- crease by anoter 12,000 stu- dents. "When we say we have 520 portable classrooms, we are say- ing, in effect, that we have over 20 elementary schools in 'porta- schools',» said Bowman. «We 'have big yellow school buses transportinq children across their municipality and even across municizal boun- daries on a daily basis. The Durham board has more than $550-million of «hard-core building spaoe,» said Bowman, but it bas ben «"laned, develo- ped and occupied in isolati*on» of If you were te ask the students of Sinclair about their new school, you'd probably get mixed resuits. But I, as a brand new student, bolieve there are feelings of confusion, anxiety and uncertainty. On the other band, there are feelings of excitement and enthusiasm looking inte the year ahead of us al. Numerous teame have started tryouts and the turnout bas been overwhelming, though it is still fairly difflcult te find the gym. I know that I eften find myself walkinig in circles, eventually reaching familiar territery. There is always someone an aoverall vision of conimunity development.» Wile quick to stress that Uwe have an excellent relationship with local municipal govern- ment," Bowman said trustees demnand a more equal partner- shWe're saying we want to in- fluence the initial view and not be working at the back end of the process." In reply to a question from Simcoe East MPP Allan McLean (Progressive Conservative), Bow- man said both the Durham board and the Ontario Public School Boards Association made sub- missions to the commission which prompted the proposais contained in Bill 163. The Commission on Planning and Development Reform in Ontario was headed up by for- mer Toronto mayor John Sewell. FRESHMEN students at Father Leo J. Austin Cathollo Secondary School compete to gather the most peanuts, one of the games played Friday at the school's 'Grade 9 Day.' around who is willing te point you in the right direction or show you the way. It almost seerns like we're a team aIl working together te survive this time of confusion. There are a number of questions that are addressed by our teacher advisors, and without them, we'd probably ail by trying te find room 421, or the third floor. Our TAs are helping to, get us where we're suppoeed to be. Even though they are net aiways sure themselves, they are another important part of our Sinclair team trying to get off the ground. A lot of 0ur computer on-line systems aren't working perfectly, Among their requests, educa- tion officiais were seeking the power to delay development pro- posais until their concerns were resolved. But trustees were rebuffed by both the Sewell Commission and the ministry Bowman said. "Bill 163 àoes not include any of the amendments requested- by the Durham Board of Education and does not improve Ontario's planning system in its approach to education,» she said. "This is our fourth time around ... If you want to streng- then the recommendations we've presented it would be greatly appRreciated.» Followingj her presentation, Bowman toid the Free Press that by involving school boards earlier in the planning process, educa- tion officiais would try to prevent the problem of "Ieapfrýogging" development. but because we are resourceful we're running the school pretty well. Sinclair is a school of which I'm proud ta be a part, and even though we stilI have problems finding room 421 or 134, we're worki ng aLs a team to survive. This team can anything. Just in case, here are a few pointers you survive week 2: survive though, te help e walk the saine way te class everyday. * become really good ifriends with someone who bas a map. *start looking for your class around 7:50 a.m. This is the practice of allowing development in one area ana then 'jumping" it over an adja- cent area, thus adding to th e distances between subdivisions and forcing the busing of stu- dents, Bowman explained. "By being involved earlier in the process- it would save money," she said. Morgulis added that there are "no standards" in Durham Region, with respect to the size and type of residential develop- ment. "With 500 to 600 houses in a development it dilutes what a community is,» said Morgulis. "We are willing to look at compaction and multiple-use facihities and making them more land intensive " he said. "But we stili have the problem that communities are spread out and students don't have acces- sible schools." The event is designed to make new students feel part of the school. Photo by Mark Reesor, Whitby Free Press a always enter the school through the saine door. Til next week, don't get loest. 'lin a war, eveiyone suffers... The War Amps By Shannon Maracle SINCLAIR SECONDARY SCHOOL 1 ILM i