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_ Taking action COMMUNITY w\ TO RAISE FUNDS % The board has suggested N that federalâ€"provincial | infrastructure grant 4 money be used by the § township and by the § board to construct the building, which would be open for use by the comâ€" \ munity, when not being ;\) used by the school. 5 _The Castleton Sports E Club, of which Mrs. â€" "The board can have all our support â€" they already have our money!" Mrs. Dingwall wrote in a letter to the editor pubâ€" lished in last week‘s Colborne Chronicle. The parents say this is unfair. They point out that all other elementary schools in the board are equipped with gyms, paid for wholly by the board, and that they are paying over 62 cents on their property tax dollar to the public schoo‘l board, now. That would leave over half a million dollars to be raised in the tiny hamlet of Castleton, presumably by the sports club and/or interested parent groups. Dingwall is also a member, was approached to spearâ€" head a fundraising drive that would augment the $60,000 that the board suggested the township council commit. Now, to add insult to Injury, the board has sugâ€" gested that the township contribute about $300,000 to the estimated $630,000 cost of adding a freeâ€"standing gym and community meeting room to the school property. But, 1992 came and went, and there was no sign of a gym in Castleton‘s future. Mae Dingwall of Castleton, part of the "loosely formed " Buildâ€"aâ€" Gym Committee, says the board promised parents and taxpayers 10 years ago that a gym would be added to the 65â€"year old school property no later than 1992. They are organizing to protest their "unequal treatment" to the board, and to the Queen‘s Park, as well, and the council of the Township of Cramahe is behind them. They are fedâ€"up with waiting for the Northumberlandâ€"Claringâ€" ton Board of Education to make good on its promise to build a gymnasium for Castleton Public School, and they are taking action. Castleton people are tired of being treated as secondâ€"rate. By Eileen Argyris Castleton parents want firstâ€"class education â€" including gym â€" for kids She adds, the direct cost to the board of erecting a $400,000 building. in Castleton would therefore be only $97,320. "That‘s less than the cost of their name change!" she notes, with irony. Last year the school See Gym, page 16 "For school boards," she points out, "only 73 cents must be raised for each dollar from the federal and provincial governments," under the infrastructure grant program. Mrs. Dingwall believes, from her research, that $400,000 would be a much more realistic estiâ€" mate. She says contractors have asked her whether the board plans to coat the basketball nets in solid gold, in other words, the job should be able to be done for much less money. Mrs. Dingwall says she has made‘independent inquiries of building conâ€" tractors to see if the board‘s estimate . of approximately $630,000 for the construction of a freeâ€"standing 270â€"squareâ€" metre gym with a stage, washrooms and change rooms, foyer and mechaniâ€" cal room and community kitchen, is realistic. Countcillor Lee Dekeyser commented, "I feel for these people; what can we do?" In other words, unlike newer schools, the board did not have to pay for the construction of a school in Castleton. Council agrees with her. Deputy Reeve George Blyth pointed out that the small, independent school boards â€" turned _ over Castleton Public School to the amalgamated school boards "at no cost." "We cannot afford to be patient as our parents were," she now believes. Mrs. Marshman, who was a student at Castleton Public School, said parâ€" ents of her generation were "patient" waiting for the board to rectify the unequal situation. Dan and Linda Marshman of Castleton pointed out in a letter that students of Castleton Public School are disadâ€" vantaged when they reach high school because they : have not hadsthe same opportunities to play indoor sports as students from other schools across the board. GOLDâ€"PLATED NETS DISADVANTAGED Last week at a meeting of Cramahe council, two more parents added their voices to the protest. She is aware that the school board has stated that Castleton Public School could use a $2.6 million upgrade, and she says she believes that such a large sum could { probably be utilized at the ! school, built in 1929, PARENTS FEAR THREAT OF CLOSURE She says she is sure that parents have not made more nolse about the lack of a gym because they fear the school board will make another attempt to close the school. oo zs Why, she wonders, is the board‘s treatment of stuâ€" dents so different between Cobourg and Castleton? COBOURG GETS BETTER FACILITIES She says the new Terry Fox School in Cobourg is a case in point. Mrs. Dingwall toured the school in May and found that "the facilities are enviable, a testament to modern architecture and design." ym ohal . . Mrs. Dingwall believes that other areas will attract growth and indusâ€" try because their schools offer a "more complete" education than Castleton can provide. $1 MILLION A YEAR Over one million dollars flows out of Cramahe each year for public education, Mrs. Dingwall points out. That contribution by taxâ€" payers is supposed to guarantee all children in the board‘s jurisdiction an equal education, but it doesn‘t. Williams. The school board did "The board s'HSGTd supâ€" ply a gym at board expense," said Mr. send a copy of Mr. and Mrs. Marshman‘s letter (see page 4 of this week‘s Chroniecle) to the school board "saying we {council) support their request, board changed its name from Northumberland and Newcastle to the Northumberlandâ€"Claringâ€" ton Board of Education, to accommodate a name change by the regional municipality of Newcastle to Clarington. Logos, letâ€" terheads, signage on all school board property had to be changed, not without cost. Gym worth fighting for Page 16 The Colborne Chronicle, Tuesday, July 26, Mr. Blyth said he hoped the school board would not use council‘s failure to contribute money to the project as an excuse not to bers Councillor Lee Dekeyser seconded Mr. Williams‘ motion, adding that copies of the letter and the motion should also be sent to . the Ministry _ of Education at Queen‘s Park, and to Northumberland‘s memâ€" The township council, with 150 miles of secâ€" ondary roads to maintain, has already allocated all its grant through the fedâ€" eralâ€"provincial infrastrucâ€" ture program elsewhere. "We (Eramahe taxpayers) have helped to pay for every structure in the board‘s jurisdietion," he pointed out angrily. The township deputy reeve, George Blyth, a forâ€" mer member of the public school board, called the board‘s offer to split the cost of a new gym, "an insult to our intelligence," at Cramahe‘s council meeting last week. CCUDE ld ids m make such an attempt in 1981. But a wellâ€"organized community protest, furâ€" nishing proof that the school population (then around 100) was going to increase, saved the school. Today the school‘s enrollâ€" ment is around 190, necessitating the use of several portable classâ€" rooms. "2_"cCUand‘s memâ€" of provincial and fedâ€" Stewart. Members of the Buildâ€"Aâ€" Gym Committee are the following: Mae Dingwall: Mario and Lisa Meekes, Kevin and Carol Stout, Mary Kristensen, all of Castleton. eral parliament, Joan Fawcett and Christine Councillor Jim Williams, who is employed as 4 teacher by the public school board, proposed a motion that the council proceed with a Castleton. $y st "They‘re asking us to double," Counclll?ii' Dekeyse{.agreed. 1994