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.
On Wednesday evening the Leadership Council from Hapnot Collegiate, with Julie Rossington as their spokesperson, addressed issues of concern regarding the "disrepair" of many of the schools in the Flin Flon area. The presentation was held in the Hapnot cafeteria with members of the Flin Flon School Board in attendance, along with some teachers and about 14 students. Also on hand was Garry Doverspike, the maintenance supervisor for the Flin Flon School Division. The students were very well prepared. They had made a video by going around to McIsaac, Parkdale and Hapnot schools. They did not get to Ruth Betts School due to scheduling problems. Speaking for the students, Rossington asked: "How can we take pride in this?" as the video showed images of disrepair in the schools. Things like ceiling tiles missing and wires hanging exposed, holes in the walls, concrete stairs and sidewalks broken, lights with no covers, showers falling apart, sewer drainage covers missing, lights hanging from wires, toilets out of order, walls desperately needing paint as well as blackboards cracked and chipped and badly damaged chairs throughout the school building. Rossington exclaimed: "Is there a reason for this? You (the school board) are in control. Our future rests in your hands." She went on to say: "These are things we see everyday as we walk around the schools. We would appreciate it if you would take a closer look. We understand that you have budget costs, etc., but we need to see a change. Get things fixed up." When that members of the School Board spoke, trustee Angie Simpson said: "I can't believe the maintenance personal would actually leave things that are unsafe." See 'We' P.# Con't from P.# Rossington spoke of slipping on the stairs when they get wet "because there is nothing to protect them from being slippery." Flin Flon School Division Superintendent Blaine Veitch commented: "Although there are many things to spend money on, we will try and rectify these problems." Chairman of the School Board, Jim Wilson, said: "Three full time maintenance men cannot keep up with the work that needs to be done, but the board can't hire any more due to financial reasons." Rossington said: "Facilities have already been cut back, we need a change!" Another student spoke up: "In one class, there are six lights out, the intercom button doesn't work (so that means the teacher has to leave her class unsupervised when she has to go to the office) and the thermostat doesn't work. I thought some of the basics of life were heat and light and this has been going on now for three years." Then school board trustee Tim Davis spoke: "That electrical wiring really bothers me. Is there someone you can report this too? I am surprised that it is not being dealt with." With that, the maintenance supervisor, Garry Doverspike said: "The wires are dead, they do not pose a direct hazard at this time." Then John Clarke, principal of Hapnot said: "Moral is a real problem. The kids don't feel they are being taken care of. The problems have to become prioritized. We need more money to hire more people to maintain our schools. The needs of the students are not being taken care of." Doverspike commented: "It takes twice the maintenance to maintain Hapnot as it does the other schools. The building is older, the kids are bigger, thus we have more damage and vandalism. We have built a new cafeteria and spent $30,000 on the gym (to prepare for the provincial basketball tournament) which is one-third of our budget, as well as the work we have done on the life skills classroom. There is no doubt that more maintenance needs to be done, but we need more men to do it." Trustee Colleen McKee asked: "Does the student council have any input in the projects being fixed?" To which Clarke replied: "Yes, as much as possible. We have one pot of money and we have to decide and prioritize what needs to be done first. The board really needs to go City Hall and request more money." From the audience the question was raised: "If things are this bad now, what is going to happen when you lose the money from the Creighton School students?" Veitch replied: "We will be having a meeting in the spring. We may have to consider closing one of our schools." Doverspike made the comment that the kids could help by stopping vandalism in the schools. Trustee Simpson commented on the cleanliness of our local schools. She also asked the students to ask their parents as individuals how much taxes they pay in school taxes and if they know what it is being used for. She went on to say: "The budget is $10 million with $8 million going toward wages, leaving only $2 million for the maintenance of five schools, heat, books, lighting and extra curricular activities." Clarke went on to say that there have been changes such as the School Division structure, which should be bringing more money into the schools. He asked: "Where do we stand provincially? We should be in one of the higher rates due to that fact that we live in the North, with our heating costs and material costs as much as 42% more than they are in the South." Doverspike said: "We brought an architect in on consultation regarding the maintenance and cosmetic work. The architect responded, 'No wonder you don't get anymore money, everything is kept in pretty good shape'. In the South, they let things go until they are almost falling down and then they are replaced." Wilson added: "I don't agree that we are falling down behind the South. In all my years of teaching and being involved in the school system, I have been in many schools and our schools are the cleanest in the province." Clarke commented: "In spite of the situation, when visitors come to our school they always comment on the friendliness of our students and the quality of the way the students present themselves." Everyone in attendance commented on the excellent presentation made by the students, and they thanked the school for allowing them to present it. "The students need to know that their concerns and opinions do matter to us and they are not going on deaf ears," stated trustee Gordon Mitchell. Board chair Wilson concluded by saying that since 1980, he can recall only two years that the school tax did not go up in the Flin Flon area, saying: "It increases almost every year."
