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Province Won't Fund Black-Focused School: Wynne
Wednesday January 30, 2008
CityNews.ca Staff
If the Toronto District School Board hopes to fund a controversial black-focused school, they're going to have to fund it themselves. When trustees voted 11-9 in favour of the concept at a tense meeting Tuesday night, they hoped to open an alternative Afrocentric campus by next September.
But to do it, they'd likely need at least $325,000 from the province to make it happen. For now, it doesn't appear the Liberals are interested in helping out with any cash contributions. "Any alternative school that the Board decided to set up, they have to fund from within their budget," declares Education Minister Kathleen Wynne. "There won't be any extra funding from the province to fund this school."
Trustee Josh Matlow, who voted against the idea, believes the Board may not be able to afford the plan, because it's already facing a $41 million deficit this year and another big financial gap next year. He doesn't know where the money will come from.
But the Board seems intent on proceeding full steam ahead. At a meeting held Wednesday afternoon, Education Director Gerry Connolly vowed officials will be approaching this divisive issue with extreme care. "Everybody is asking how do we know you will be making a difference and our commitment is to ensure that we all know we are making a difference and why we are making difference," she promises.
But don't expect to hear any real specifics until later in the spring. "We will be receiving the many proposals received ... about ways to improve success for black students and in May, we will report back to the board of trustees with an action plan based on their proposals."
For her part, Wynne hopes the Board has found a solution to the high rate of black students dropping out, but adds the government prefers an "inclusive" solution, noting "our preference would not be to have a separate school."
Education Specialist Cynthia Mulligan will have more on the reaction to the vote on CityNews at Five and Six.
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In an unrelated story, incidents of burglary have increased 250% since this announcement.
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