January 16, 2007 8:48:24 AM
From: John Fearnall
Subject: A suggestion
As our board is currently facing two significant problems, a budget deficit due to sickness and an excess amount of space due to a precipitous decline in enrollment, I would like to make the following proposal. Rather than building a new "learning  centre" I think we should do away with the idea of a centrally located education centre and instead redistribute our board office employees to our schools. Here are just some of the reasons why I think this makes sense:

- Money would be freed up for more pressing educational matters
- The BBS does not require everyone to be in the same location to communicate
- Our TMP already supports this type of set up
- Following the success of our Technology PD day, virtual meetings could be held, reducing travel and other expenses
- Every community would have local board employees
- Board meetings could rotate from school to school and community to community
- Employees would have an opportunity to work in and contribute to their local community
- Operating costs of a new building could be redistributed to schools
- Space would be used efficiently. As I read in the paper on the weekend "it costs the same to run schools with or without the students"
- The board could demonstrate its commitment to the environment by reducing and reusing excess space
- The message would be sent that the most important buildings in our communities are the schools
- Policy makers would have the opportunity to see the impact of their policies on a daily basis
- The opportunities for miscommunication would be reduced
- Administrators would have more contact with students and teachers
- Our board could set a precedent for other boards to follow

Sincerely,

Joh Fearnall