Top administrators at the Avon Maitland District School Board became well-practiced in the art of letter-writing over the recent Christmas holidays, drafting official responses to numerous concerns about the ongoing accommodation review processes in Bluewater/South Huron and Huron East/North Perth.
“I wish I could take credit but it really was a team effort,” responded director of education Chuck Reid, when complimented for his letter-writing prowess by board chair Jenny Versteeg.
The letters were mostly written during the month of December, in response to a series of concerns raised by municipal and federal politicians from Huron County. Among the correspondents were representatives from Huron County, the lower-tier municipalities of Huron East, South Huron and Bluewater, as well as Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb.
Versteeg noted that, in general, trustees are consulted about such responses during regular board meetings. But, due to the fact the original letters arrived just before the Christmas holidays – during which no regular meetings are held – she informed Reid that he could draft responses without consulting trustees.
Versteeg added that, during a meeting in late November, trustees had already discussed their response to a similar concern.
The letters to the board range from a short and concise request from Lobb to “stop the current Accommodation Review Committee process until after the review of the funding formula for 2010,” as well as similarly-worded municipal council resolutions, to Huron East’s request that the Huron East/North Perth review be postponed until additional capital cost information is received from the provincial government.
The Huron East letter, written Dec. 4, was discussed by trustees at the board’s Dec. 8 regular meeting. At the time, it was decided that the information currently on hand for Avon Maitland administrators is adequate.
Subsequent letters of concern requested postponement until after an as-yet-unconfirmed review of the provincial education funding formula. The responses from the board reiterate an argument already made at previous meetings: that, even though the legislation that created the funding formula called for a 10-year review in 2010, it now seems unlikely that will happen.
“They aren’t going to be reviewing this funding formula,” offered Reid in an interview, following the Jan. 26 meeting. He suggested that, instead of a one-time review, the ruling Liberals have made adjustments over the years, in an ongoing effort to alter the formula.
Reid’s letters on behalf of the board also highlight the provincial government’s response to the recent economic downturn. He cites “a projected expense drop of $1.7 billion in 2011-12,” which will combine with a predicted increase in pension support requirements to create “a projected reduction of $3.7 billion for the province.