Community Mourns Homicide Victim in Chester Basin

A funeral service will be held this afternoon for a 57 year-old homicide victim in Chester Basin. The body of Victoria Buckley was found late last week at her home on Borgels Point Road. Buckley was born in the United States but moved north after getting a job with Air Canada in the 1970s. She retired from her job as a flight attendant in 2006. Buckley is survived by her two children Alannah and Jack and a grandchild. Police have not made any arrests in relation to her death. The service will take place Aenon Baptist Church in Chester Basin at 2 o'clock.

SSRSB eliminates 20 teaching positions

The South Shore Regional School Board is eliminating 20 teaching positions in the upcoming school year. The majority of positions are being scaled back because of budget cuts by the Department of Education, while five positions were eliminated due to declining student enrolment. Board member Judith Sullivan-Corney says they are optimistic the job losses will be through attrition, not layoffs.

"The superintendent has worked very closely with the principals, so I think we're going to be able to absorb those cuts without layoffs; we're hoping that's where we'll be."

A total of 507.7 full-time equivalent teaching positions have been approved by the board. Those positions include school-based teachers and administrators only. The board is bracing for as high as a $2.7-million cut to its budget for 2012-13.

SSRSB: Multiple Options for New Board Size

Judith Sullivan-Corney

Three options are better than one for the South Shore Regional School Board. The board is recommending multiple scenarios to the province's UARB regarding the size of the school board. Judith Sullivan-Corney says they've decided to suggest a six person, seven person and nine person board as options to the Utility and Review Board to decide on. The first option is the six-person board with two at-large representatives for African Nova Scotian and Mik'maq electors. That would give two members for Park View and one for Queens, Forest Heights, New Germany and Bridgewater. Sullivan-Corney says its the option she prefers.

"It met a number of the objectives that I was hoping to meet and I also think it supports the Deloitte Report. So, the six seat option is if we didn't have to concern ourselves with the minimums in the Education Act, I think it would be a really great option."

The province's Education Act says there can not be less than eight board members. Sullivan-Corney says the school board is hoping their recommendation of six or seven can spark a change in legislation. If not, she says they have a nine person option for the UARB to fall back on.