Ms Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock): My question is for the Minister of Education. In my riding of Haliburton-Victoria-Brock, there are approximately 150 students in the former townships of Carden and Dalton who for generations have taken their elementary and secondary school education with the Simcoe County District School Board. The students and their families use the city of Orillia and the eastern Simcoe county as their community of interest.

Now, the Trillium Lakelands District School Board wants these Carden and Dalton students back in their schools. They have told these students that they will have to attend schools located within the Trillium Lakelands boundaries, although these schools are much farther in distance from their homes than the Orillia-area schools.

I believe we need to put students first, the local, municipal and student school councils believe that we need to put students first, and their parents believe that we need to put students first. Minister, will you put the students first and personally intervene to work with the boards so the children of Carden and Dalton can attend the schools of their choice, the schools in the Simcoe system that were also their parents' and grandparents' choice?

Hon Gerard Kennedy (Minister of Education): I will that we are in communication now with the board. We are looking into, not taking the decision away from the board, but what the regulations are and so on that are being relied upon to make this decision. We do think that in all instances where the boards have discretionary power, they should be looking out for the interests of students.

There is a difference of opinion about this at the current time, but at the same time we do think there may be a provincial role. I undertake to the member opposite that we are exploring that now and will report back to her further on our success, in terms of both dialoguing with the board and looking at how provincial rules may have brought a part of this situation about.

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): Supplementary?

Mr Garfield Dunlop (Simcoe North): Ms Scott and I are both agreed that the students from Carden and Dalton are best served by the Simcoe county board. In fact, the Simcoe county board has done a remarkable job of portable replacements over the last four years, in fact changing all of the schools in the township of Ramara -- Brechin, Rama Central and Uptergrove -- to having beautiful new additions, which of course accommodate the kids from Carden and Dalton.

With a large financial investment -- it's about $5 million in these schools -- and I understand the pending regulatory change in the transportation segment of the student-focus funding formula, can you assure us -- or I know you could give a partial answer there to the parents and students of Carden and Dalton -- and will you make the solution a long-term solution, if you possibly can, by working with the boards? I believe in a solution that will allow Carden and Dalton students to attend Simcoe county schools for the foreseeable future and many generations, if at all possible.

Hon Mr Kennedy: What I can say is that there is a need here to make sure there is some long-term stability. I would ascribe right away to that part of the member's question.

We have a point of friction between two boards, essentially, and we want to play whatever constructive role we can. We don't intend to take final decision-making power away from them, but we do see ways, and there are some changes that we think can perhaps ameliorate that, which could be announced in the weeks ahead. But again, I would say that we're looking first of all to see where the provincial responsibility is and how this may be making this more complicated.

We have in some boards a larger issue around lower populations. We have a new policy coming forward, I'll say to the member opposite now, which puts more emphasis on the academic value and performance of schools. And while this is a unique situation -- a border issue, if you like -- that principle will inform us as well in how we contribute to this solution.