Pubdate: Wed, 08 May 2002
Source: Oakville Beaver (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002, Oakville Beaver
Contact:  http://www.haltonsearch.com/index.html?category=5D4GWHWX
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1600
Author: Tim Whitnell

HOW DARE THEY?

Drug Education Program May Be Cut

The scope, and perhaps even the existence, of popular programs like DARE, 
Celebrating Literacy and Food For Thought is in doubt in the Halton public 
school system.

Budget recommendations have been made by staff with the Halton District 
School Board that funding for those initiatives be removed.

The administrative direction, which was met with sadness by trustees, came 
during the third in a series of budget meetings Monday.

The public board is wrestling with an evolving 2002-03 school-year budget 
that is expected to vastly exceed the projected revenues coming from the 
provincial government.

No firm decision has been made yet about the three elementary school 
programs in question or the others that were talked about on Monday.

Trustees are reviewing and debating financial projections being made by 
staff with a final vote on next year's budget expected by mid-June.

The proposed budget for the 2002-03 school year is $281.4 million, however, 
the general legislative grants from the Ministry of Education, which 
account for the bulk of board revenues, won't be known until late May at 
the earliest. That X factor is causing concern among board staff and 
trustees and will determine how much wiggle room the board has in setting 
its budget.

Board Business Superintendent Carla Kisko indicated people will be doing 
more squirming than wiggling with the dollars they'll likely have at their 
disposal.

"We have a lot of work left still. There isn't going to be any surprise 
when we come to you with a budget that far exceeds the $281.4 million," 
Kisko told trustees.

School boards cannot run deficit budgets so Kisko said a summary list of 
all proposed program cuts would come to the next public budget meeting on 
May 29 at 7 p.m. at the board office in Burlington.

The board funding of the Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) program 
that is in jeopardy amounted to $80,000 this year.

The board has had an ongoing relationship with the Halton Regional Police 
Service, which implements DARE by having officers go into elementary 
classrooms and give anti-drug and peer pressure talks to Grade 6 students.

Celebrating Literacy and Food For Thought was a two-year commitment from 
the board that saw it give $90,000 this year to the Halton Social Planning 
Council, to help it administer reading and snack and breakfast programs.

The idea of losing the three programs does not sit well with some trustees.

"I'm quite concerned we may be compromising (disadvantaged) kids' futures 
(and learning ability) by not ensuring their stomachs are full," said 
Burlington trustee Peggy Russell.

She also noted her grown son took the DARE program and believes he 
benefited from it.

Despite the doom and gloom nature of much of the talk around the conference 
room during the budget presentation, education director Dusty Papke 
reminded people not to draw definitive conclusions.

"It does not mean we won't have food programs in our schools," he said. "It 
was not an easy decision (but) our backs are against the wall."

Milton trustee Erica Andrew said, "I'm confident the programs will continue."

Board superintendent of education Gary Sadler said Halton police and the 
social planning council were both informed about a month ago of the 
proposed budget cuts affecting their programs.

Sadler said there is still some hope, and even some expectation, that DARE, 
Celebrating Literacy and Food For Thought will carry on in the schools in 
some form.

"The individual school communities have the support of local sponsors like 
grocery stores and companies that give (money or) services in kind," he noted.

He noted he should be meeting this week with the DARE reps and sometime 
soon with the Halton Social Planning Council.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens