The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
A textbook full of news stories came out of the local education system throughout the year. Here is a look back at some of the education-related stories that made headlines in 2003. In April, a concerned parent told the Flin Flon School Board that "it's just hard to swallow" a proposed policy to reimburse lost wages for trustees attending to board business. Speaking during a public question period, the parent suggested that each trustee's annual salary of $4,700 and up to $1,500 in professional development money should be adequate. Her concern didn't change the minds of the trustees, who voted 5-2 in favour of Policy 2:6, which compensates trustees for lost wages and other out-of-pocket expenses to a maximum of $1,000 per trustee per year. A reimbursement policy had been in place prior to being eliminated in 2002 by the previous school board. See 'Eventful' P.# Con't from P.# In May, the Flin Flon School Division slashed expenditures to the tune of $160,946 for its 2003-04 budget. Most of the savings came from the reduction of two teaching positions at Hapnot Collegiate. Rising costs and less provincial funding led the division to obtain a 3.25 per cent increase in its municipal funding for the 2003-04 year. The increase was modest compared to those of other school divisions across the province. In June, some familiar faces at the local schools retired. Kate Anderson, Velma Foster, Erv Kelbert, Richard Korotash and Leslie McKeachnie were honoured for their years of service at a tea organized by the Flin Flon Teachers' Association. Also in June, Many Faces Education Centre graduated 56 students in June, the most in the 11-year history of the high school. Meanwhile, 109 young men and women graduated from Hapnot Collegiate, with Robbie Collins delivering a well-received valedictory address. In October, the board had reason to smile with the release of a report showing the division generated $147,271 more in 2002-03 than had been projected. Trustee Angela Simpson presented a report stating that the surplus from the 2002-03 budget was $320,965, far higher than the $173,424 that had been anticipated. About half of this favourable variance was attributable to money received from Keewatin Community College for participation in the dual-credit program at Many Faces Education Centre, according to the report. Other contributing factors included tuition billings to Frontier School Division and Pukatawagan, rental fees from the nursing program at Ruth Betts School and a payroll tax refund, the report stated. Also in October, Superintendent Veitch responded to a concern about a possible closure of Many Faces Education Centre, saying the school division would be "very reluctant" to ever contemplate shutting down the non-traditional high school. Veitch was responding to a Letter to the Editor in The Reminder in which former school trustee Brent Lethbridge suggested that Many Faces might be closed if a high school program is established in Creighton. In November, Trustee Murray Skeavington revealed at a board meeting that the Flin Flon School Division and its teachers have failed to find common ground at the bargaining table. "At this time negotiations have broken down," he said. "The teacher's association, we were informed, will be applying for conciliation and arbitration. We will be going ahead and asking for arbitration at this time." Also in November, an unofficial phone survey conducted by The Reminder suggested that 60 per cent of Creighton and Denare Beach residents favour adding a high school program to Creighton Community School. Of 45 residents phoned at random, 27 (60 per cent) were in favour; 12 (27 per cent) were undecided; and six (13 per cent) were opposed. Also in November, about 60 parents, educators and students offered their educational input to the Flin Flon School Division. At a planning forum held at Hapnot Collegiate, the public was asked to consider what skills graduates of 2015 will require to succeed. The attendees ranked communication and social skills above abilities such as computer literacy and technological skills. Other responses included self-understanding and self confidence, knowledge of trades, basic math skills, social conscience and perseverance. In December, the biggest education story of the year came just two weeks prior to the close of 2003 when the Creighton School Board voted to establish a high school program at Creighton Community School. By a 4-2 vote, the board agreed to implement grades 10, 11 and 12 at the school, one year at a time, beginning in September 2004.
