HawthorneVillager.com

Hello,

When will the Ministry approve funding for Milton #8 public school (on Framstead)?
On the HDSB web site, it says "subject to Ministry of Education funding". Does that mean we may not get funding for the #8 school to open in 2013?

http://www.hdsb.ca/aboutus/Planning/Rev ... s2012.aspx

Sorry, I've been swamped and haven't been timely in my answers.
canadasky - moving students to Tiger Jeet Singh School would just be transferring the problem from one school to another. We need a more reasonable and sustainable solution than that and we need it quick.
apple - we do not have Ministry approval or funding for Milton #8. We can't build a school without those items. We have identified it as a desperate need and are awaiting their response. I was at the Public Education Symposium conference last week and as soon as the Minister finished her remarks, I made a bee line for her. I got a few minutes of her time and outlined the situation here in Milton. Her strategic advisor is now working on setting up an appointment for us to speak to her at more length.
In the mean time though, PL Robertson is struggling with overwhelming numbers and we need a plan for September 2012. We have worked with the school councils and principals and come up with 3 possible scenarios. We will present these scenarios at a public meeting on February 7 at 6:30 pm at PL Robertson school. Please come out and give us your input that night.
Donna

Thanks.
We all can see how important #8 is for us, please let us know once funding approved.
But I am kind of worry what if Ministry reject the funding for #8? What makes them to say yes or no? Thanks!

Don't be too optimistic. If every school can be fund on time, we won't run into a crisis like today.
Look at P.L. Robertson, 12 Portabls, Doesn't Ministry of Education know about this last year?

Without the funding from Ministry of Education, the #8 school can't be built. This is the bottle neck.

I've taught in a portable before. Only cold part about it for me was getting from the main building to the portable itself.

Hi Azhar

Welcome to Milton. At present your home is located within the P.L. Robertson School area. The Halton District School Board http://www.hdsb.ca is working out a new school boundary for your area until Milton #8 is built on the west side of Farmstead Drive behind the Ruhl farmhouse. You should call or email the school board to register your children as soon as possible so the board knows how many children there will be in your area in case there is a need for busing. You can also contact your trustee Nancy Mac Neill at macneilln@hdsb.ca for more details on the school plans. The new school arrangements should be announced soon to serve your neighbourhood and other growing areas.

If your children attend Catholic schools, the Halton Catholic District School Board website is http://www.hcdsb.org and the trustee is Diane Rabenda who you can contact at rabendad@hcdsb.org.

Colin Best
Local & regional councillor
Chair Milton Administration & Planning Committee

_________________
Become a Fan! Visit my website! Email: colin.best@milton.ca Twitter Follow! 905-878-3623

Wondering if there was any detail in yesterday's provincial budget on funding for the new schools (either those previously promised or new announcements)? I can crawl through the documents myself but thought the trustees may already have looked into this.

I am wondering too. Is Milton #8 school funding approved? Thanks.

Thanks everyone for their comments and concerns regarding Milton schools. Today after consulting with local trustees and town planner I sent the attached letter to the Minister of Education in response to her comments made in Milton last month. The letter has also been copied to the Milton Champion as a letter to the editor.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05/02/2012

Honourable Laura Broten
Minister of Education
Government of Ontario

Dear Minister

I am writing to you as an individual councillor to express my
disappointment in your statements made in the April 17th edition
of the Milton Canadian Champion regarding Milton's school
situation.

Yes,school boards are responsible for the planning for new schools
BUT your Ministry is responsible for the capital funding of these
new schools.

Last year the Halton District School Board applied for funding for
two new elementary schools in the urban Milton area, Milton #7 & #8
but your staff only approved one school. The boards and Town have
been planning for these schools for years, we just need your
Ministry to now fund their construction.

Your staff is well aware of Milton's situation for many years as
the Mayor, Regional Chair other councillors and I have met with
previous Ministers and their staff with these concerns and
provided planning information which shows that Milton needs a
minimum of one new school every year to keep up with the 1998
Official Plan which was approved by the Province allowing Milton
to grow to a population of 160,000 people by the year 2021.

At present all Milton area schools are over 100% capacity and a
number of schools have 10-16 kindergarten classes each. To fulfill
your government's goal of full day kindergarten, Milton needs your
approval of 1-2 new schools a year every year to provide these
children the facilities to learn.

The Town and Region are now dealing with the financial agreements
for the approval of the Boyne survey which could commence
construction next year for the first phase of 7000 new homes with
another 6000 homes to come in a few years. Milton and Halton need
long term commitments from your ministry to provide the funding
needed for these new schools.

Next time you or other ministers visit Milton, could your staff let
the Town and Region know, so councillors and trustees can show you
the challenges Milton and Halton face.



Colin Best
Local & Regional councillor
Chair Milton Administration & Planning Committee
Vice-Chair Halton Planning & Public Works Committee.
cc. Milton Canadian Champion, Town & Regional councillors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have also attached the link to the Champion article from April 17th and the latest building department statistics for everyone's information.

http://www.insidehalton.com/news/articl ... er-in-town


http://www.milton.ca/en/build/resources/Mar2012.pdf#Alt

Colin Best
Local & regional councillor
Wards 2,3,4,5, North of Derry road.
Milton/Halton

_________________
Become a Fan! Visit my website! Email: colin.best@milton.ca Twitter Follow! 905-878-3623

Thanks Colin.
Looks like there are something disconnected betwen the Halton school board and the Ministry.

Minister of Education Laurel Broten said school planning is up to Halton’s school boards. “It is those who live and represent this community that can best determine how to do that management. The catchments area, planning and prioritizing schools — we leave all that important work to the board and the local representatives are in the position to make those determinations.”

BUT Ministry is responsible for the capital funding of these new schools.

So who knows when Milton #8 will be build? ************NOBODY************

Thanks for sending that letter to the Minister of Education Colin. I too have written a letter to her regarding the situation in the Milton schools. I also sent one to our local MPP, Ted Chudleigh. I thought everyone would be interested in the response that I got from him:

I sympathize with the situation the School Board has put you in. However the school board is entirely in control of the situation and has complete jurisdiction in the matter. You need to speak to your trustee, as I have no vote nor voice in this matter.
Sincerely,
Ted Chudleigh
MPP Halton

What made me so angry about this email is that he said he has no voice in this matter! Really? Our elected provincial official has no voice over the provincially funded education system? Don't think I'll be voting for him next time.

Looks like all the doors are closed, we can't do anything but waitting......
Who cares about us?
People make decisions doesn't even have kids waitting for education......, Money is more important than education.
It is our own fault, we chose Milton but they only build new house not new school.
Why Milton keeps the new house developing while even not sure if the school can be funded? Don't they have a checklist?
Milton planners, please learn from now on that Ministry of education may not fund a school, please calculate the permits can be issued for new houses.

delete

Jordan, please don't worry - there will be no high school students remaining on the EC Drury campus. The current high school students will all be moved to the new high school for September 2012.
Donna

IB = international baccalaureate program (program for really smart kids)

No, Milton high schools don't have one at this point. White Oaks SS in Oakville is where Milton kids go.
http://www.hdsb.ca/Programs/Pages/International.aspx
I know a few kids who have gone there. I don't know if any of the Milton schools provide prep programs for it.