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— Trevor Lautens on the glitter and the glamor of Hollywood in Tiddlycove. See page 6.

B Entertainment.

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@ inside Storias........ Trevor Lautens.

@ Sunshine Girl 9 B TV Listings.....................76

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Saturday: periods of rain, windy High 8°C, Low 2°C.

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A body believed to be that of 16-year-old airplane crash victim found near Texada

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NORTH VANCOUVER RCMP members rope off an area near the Takaya Golf Centre in Deep Cove on Wednesday where an armed robber killed himself. See story page 3.

District 44 board blocks parent proposal for alternative school

NORTH VANCOUVER School District 44 trustees unanimously voied Tuesday night against a parent-driven proposal to establish an alternative, back-to- basics school in North Vancouver.

Trustees cited additional costs, no available space and a lack of “significant differences” from established public school programs as reasons for turning down the proposal.

But they left the door open for further discus- sion — through an amendment to the motion — on issues not considered by the board or undesly- ing concerns of the parents.

“He means to us that there could be other pos- sibilities in establishing this alternative school in North Vancouver.” said) alternative school co- chairinan Deborah Kitson.

A teport prepared by district staff estimated that starting and operating the proposed school would cost the district an additional $1 million. including @ one-time start-up cost of $227,000 for 200 students. Because the greater part of the alternative school’s student: population would come from existing schools, there would be lite or no additional funding from the provincial Education Ministry.

Alsu inciuded in the cost estimate was

NORTH VANCOUVER’ SCHOOL BOARD By Kevin Gillies

$682,700 for 10.66 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) teachers (at average district safaries plus 20% for benefits) and $113,800 per week for 130 hours of support staff,

The district report also said the Cloverley school site. which is the only available site with uncommitted space, was too small to accommo- date the proposal. Windsor House, an alternative education program, is already in the building.

According to the report, adding the preposed school would create @ shortfall of 1) rooms.

Kitson told the News she believes district cost estimates were inflated and disputes the lack of space issue. .

“The only example we have in recent history is what went on with the Surrey Traditional School. Their estimated costs were double’ what their actual (costs) were. We believe the costs could be half of what administration has come up with”

She also said the alternative school could recoup part of a “30% lass of (public school) stu-

Wii8

dents to private or independent schools.”

“We parents believe due consideration was not given,” she added.

District 44 Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robin Brayne said the districts diminishing avail- ability of resources was well known.

Trustees said they did not see significant dif- ferences between the program proposed and those already existing in the district.

Trustee Marg Jessup said she was not against special schools for special purposes but the onus was on parents to provide a program that was suf- ficiently different and to show there was a need for such a school.

Trustee Rick Buchols said he would like to see any shortfalls in public education dealt with from within the system.

“BIC.” he said. “represents [0% of Canada’s student population but 32% of the top marks. North Vancouver has historically done well in this area.”

Said trustee Guy Heywood, “We have a duty tu our neighborhood schools” and that the alter- native school would be “a diversion of their focus.” He urged parents unhappy with the cur- rent system to explore private schools,

See Schoal page 3

AX