Manitouwadge High School Loosing 3+ Teaching Staff for 2012-13 (incl. video footage of mtg)
Approximately 150 concerned Manitouwadge residents, MHS students and their parents attended the meeting broadcast via teleconference by the SGDSB. Photo OntarioNewsNorth.com
MANITOUWADGE, ON – Tuesday, May 22nd, approximately 150 students, parents, and concerned residents sat in on the regular meeting of Superior Greenstone District School Board via videoconference at the Manitouwadge High School. Their concern was for a motion to reduce teaching staff at MHS by 3+ teachers for the 2012-13 school year which would leave less than 10 teachers for the estimated 100 students who are expected to be enrolled as of September. Though enrollment has been consistent at the school people are now concerned that some families may move should the decision to reduce teachers be followed through as it is beleived this could reduce available courses by as many as 20.
Student Trustee Christine Roszel (CLICK HERE for an interview with Roszel earlier that day regarding how students were feeling and what the loss might mean to the student body) and Public Trustee Darlene Keenan each addressed the board to voice their concerns and those of their constituents, Roszel receiving a very enthusiastic applause for her passionate discourse. Public commentary was not permitted until after the motion to reduce teaching staff had been successfully passed (Keenan being the sole trustee to vote against) but several people addressed the board to voice their issues and ask questions; among these Dan Fairservice (CLICK HERE for an interview with Fairservice prior to the meeting) a retired MHS teacher who had heard from families who assured him they would begin looking to take residence elsewhere if the board did indeed reduce the number of teachers, town Councillor Connie Hunter, MHS Parent Colleen Poster-Fluet and a number of others.
Among their queries was the question of why the Supported School Allocations funding, which is intended to protect schools like Manitouwadge High which are more than 45 km from the nearest board school (the nearest in this case is Marathon High School 100km away) by ensuring them a mininum of 14 teachers, was not being applied to keep the teachers currently employed as this is already fewer teachers than the minimum. The board blamed programs like Special Education and Full Day Kindergarten saying that they (SGDSB) could not necessarily say where the funds for MHS teachers from the Supported School Allocations had been spent as they “Don’t necessarily follow the funds that closely”. The board also told those in attendance that the motion was just for an initial attempt at balancing the budget and that teaching staff numbers would be added to at future meetings but that lay-off notices had to be sent by May 31st; even the Student Trustee knew this could not be accepted pointing out that teachers who received lay-offs in May could not be expected to wait for summer months in the hopes of getting their jobs back.
OntarioNewsNorth.com spoke with Manitouwadge Mayor John MacEachern Wednesday, May 30th and though he was not in attendance at the meeting, he had reviewed the OntarioNewsNorth.com meeting footage (below) and was, with council, having a letter drafted to bring their concerns with this dire situation, including why provincial Supported Schools Allocations to protect the minimum teaching staff were not being used to do so, and the effects it could have on the small municipality to the Minister of Education and any other important representatives including Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha “We are going to send them [letters of concern] to everyone and anyone who might listen and who could help, we can’t just accept this” said Mayor MacEachern.
Watch the portion of the meeting in regards to Manitouwadge teacher reductions by clicking play below (includes addresses to the board by Trustees and the public). To view the agenda from this meeting, CLICK HERE.
