YOUTH PROGRAMS COULD SURVIVE LOSS OF FUNDING

Community Support May Be Sought

Losing school board funding shouldn't sound the immediate death knell
of three popular programs for Halton students.

However, it likely means organizers of those programs will have to
scramble to make up the difference or perhaps scale back what is
offered in schools.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) initiative for Grade 6s,
and s well as the Celebrating Literacy and the Food For Thought snack
and breakfast programs for elementary schools are all poised to lose
significant funding.

Halton District School Board staff announced last week they are
recommending the three programs have their combined funding removed
as a cost-saving measure. The board paid out $125,000 in those areas
this school year.

Halton police, which administers the DARE program, and the Halton
Social Planning Council, which oversees Celebrating Literacy and Food
For Thought, are concerned about the school board's intentions and
the possible after effects.

"When schools have to cut loose a resource like this it is a tragedy.
I would say we regret what is happening to education in our
community," said planning council executive director Joey Edwardh.

"Whatever the reason for it, hungry kids don't learn well," said
Edwardh. The Food For Thought program, ironically, expanded by three
Halton schools just last week, to more than 20 across the region.

"Right now, (we) are not an organization that has its own resources,
it leverages resources. Very basic funding ($90,000 for each of the
last two years) was given by the board that allows us to leverage
funds in the community. That's the chunk that keeps it alive," she
said.

"We have to turn this challenge back to our community. Nobody wants
this program to disappear," she said. "We'll convene some meetings
and see if we can develop some interim funding."

The hundreds of parent volunteers associated with the two programs
affected will be notified of the situation, said Edwardh.

As for the fate of DARE, Halton police Sgt. Joe Prasad, co-ordinator
of the program, said he also isn't sure what will happen next should
it lose $80,000 in public school board money.

"Obviously, we're disappointed and we'll have to see where we go from
here.... We are at the crossroads with this knowledge. The chief
strongly believes we need officers in the schools as a proactive
stance.

"Every Grade 6 child in the public and Catholic boards in Halton is
exposed to it."

Prasad said the program costs half a million dollars to run annually.
The DARE Halton fundraising committee generates much of the funding
through events such as an annual golf tournament, while the Halton
Catholic District School Board donated about $75,000 this year, he
said. Halton police service covers about 40 per cent of DARE's costs.

"We have a specific fundraising committee. We'll have to visit large
corporations and ask for help," Prasad said of a probable initial
plan of action.

One piece of good news for DARE is that the Catholic board has no
immediate intention of altering its funding commitment.

"We were aware that the (public) board was considering reducing its
support for this program..." said Catholic board business
superintendent Joe Birett.

"... although we discussed the merits of doing that, we didn't feel
that was an appropriate thing to do until we knew what the funding
was and what the total balance was on the budget."

The Catholic school board's budget has yet to be approved.

The DARE program 'graduates' about 5,000 students each year, said Prasad.

A police officer comes into a Grade 6 class for one hour per week for
16 weeks. Pupils have to write an essay along the way. A 'graduating'
ceremony attended by parents and senior police officials is held at
the end of the program.

Although the provincial government announced Friday that it would be
providing $350 million in additional funding for Ontario school
boards next year, at press time the Halton District School Board
didn't know how much of that money would be coming its way.

The board is in the midst of tense budget deliberations and expects
to have trouble staying within its means, so it has identified areas
where savings can be made. Board officials have continued to harp
about what they say is the inadequacy of the provincial government's
education funding formula.