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Party would hike taxes on wealthiest 1% to increase child benefits and cut taxes for the middle class. A7
Nanaimo Region, A3
The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Tuesday, May 5, 2015
» Education
BUSINESS
Aspengrove once again tops local school rankings
BCHL Nanaimo Clippers up for sale SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
The Fraser Institute has concluded that Aspengrove School is the top elementary school for academics in the Nanaimo region in 2014. Above, Aspengrove’s admissions director Elisabeth Reay. [ROBERT BARRON/DAILY NEWS]
Only three of top 21 listed are public facilities ROBERT BARRON DAILY NEWS
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spengrove School was again the top academic elementary school in the Nanaimo region in 2014, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual report card for the year, released Monday. The independent school based in Lantzville received a grade of 9.6 out of 10 in 2014, a jump from the 9.2 the school received in the previous year, ranking Aspengrove 24th out of the 978 public and independent elementary B.C. schools assessed in the controversial annual report. Aspengrove has been at the top of the local rankings for elementary schools by the Fraser Institute for years. Only three of the top 21 elementary schools on this year’s rankings report are public schools. Peter Cowley, one of the
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Showers High 12, Low 5 Details A2
report’s authors, said that’s because public schools are not financially motivated to ensure every student does well. “Private schools are going to do everything they need to do to make sure that happens,” he said. “Because if they don’t, they’ll lose their customers.” Hammond Bay Elementary School came in second in the Nanaimo region with an 8.1 grade, compared to the 7.6 grade it received in 2013, while the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district’s Learn@Home program came in third with a score of 7.9. The independent Nanaimo Christian School took fourth place with a grade of 7.3, and Departure Bay Elementary School came fifth with a score of 6.8.
Fraser Institute Elementary School Rankings The rankings of elementary schools in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual report card for 2013-14 that was released on Monday School
‘14 ’13 ’12
Aspengrove Hammond Bay Nanaimo Christian Departure Bay Pauline Haarer Randerson Ridge Quarterway Mountain View McGirr Rutherford Frank J. Ney Cinnabar Valley Cilaire Pleasant Valley Coal Tyee
9.6 9.2 8.1 7.6 7.3 5.8 6.8 5.7 6.4 6.8 6.4 5.8 6.2 5.4 6.0 4.2 5.9 6.6 5.9 4.8 5.8 5.4 5.7 6.0 5.5 6.0 5.1 0.9 5.0 3.5
8.3 6.6 7.7 5.7 5.7 6.7 5.0 5.3 4.9 4.9 4.7 4.3 5.8 5.0 3.4
School
‘14 ’13 ’12
Park Avenue Chase River Forest Park North Cedar Oceane Rock City Brechin Fairview Uplands Park Georgia Ave. Bayview * Learn@home K-7
4.3 n/a 4.3 3.5 4.2 4.6 4.1 4.5 3.9 n/a 3.8 4.1 3.6 2.1 3.0 3.8 2.9 5.0 2.5 2.5 1.0 n/a 7.9 n/a
n/a n/a 4.0 4.8 n/a 4.6 n/a 3.2 3.9 1.2 n/a n/a
* SPECIAL PROGRAM
SOURCE: FRASER INSTITUTE
See RANKINGS, Page A6
Sleepwalking may be in the family: Study
P.E.I. voters return Liberals for third term
Researchers found that in families with two parents who are or were sleepwalkers, nearly two-thirds of the children experienced sleepwalking incidences. » Health, B1
The Liberals saw their majority reduced from the 20 seats they held before the election, taking 18 seats to eight for the Tories and one for the Greens. » Nation & World, A7
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The Nanaimo Clippers are up for sale after 10 years with the current Alberta-based owner group. Part-owner and B.C. Hockey League team governor Ken Wagner confirmed on Monday that the team is for sale, adding “it’s time” for a new owner to take the reins. Wagner said the owners are “hoping someone local comes up to the table and wants to be the owners of the club.” The ownership group includes former NHL star Kelly Hrudey, Bill Gallacher and Paul Colborne, said Wagner. “It’s just time for someone else to own the club. We’re all busy, we live in Alberta, it’s run its course. We also don’t want to send the message that (we’re) abandoning the club. That’s not what we’re doing.” The ownership group would prefer a local buyer and are willing to hold on to their shares for the right offer, said Wagner. He said they are not considering relocating the Clippers to another city. “The Nanaimo Clippers actually belong to the city and the people of Nanaimo,” he said. He also said the decision to put the club up for sale was not a financial one. “It’s a lifestyle choice,” he said. “You know, owning a hockey club, you never do it to get rich. You do it for the lifestyle, and like I said, the competitive spirit and the lifestyle of the kids. And that’s the one part that I’ll miss, is the development of the young men that have run through the program. But like I said, it just takes a lot of time, a lot of energy . . . we’ve got other interests that have come up.” The group has a price in mind, but “that will be privy to people who are serious about buying the club,” Wagner said. “We want to find the right buyers,” he said. “We’re not going to sell to the first guy that comes along with the price that’s asked . . . it’s really about picking the next partner of the community.”
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