Southeast Galt School Closure Review
YOU ARE INVITED to attend the upcoming Public Consultation Session - February 28, 2012, 6:00pm-8:00pm at St. Francis. See below meeting information for more details.
If you wish to receive email updates throughout the review, please contact planning@wcdsb.ca.
- Meeting Information
- Background Information
- FAQ
- Contact Us
Meeting Information
ARC Meetings
The following meetings are working sessions of the Accommodation Review Committee (ARC). These meetings are open to the public. Parents and community members will not be allowed to actively participate in these meetings but are invited to listen and observe.
Date/Time/Location |
Agenda/Minutes |
Documents |
|---|---|---|
Wed. January 18, 2012 |
Presentation Jan18/12 |
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Wed. February 15, 2012 |
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Tues. March 20, 2012 |
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Tues. April 3, 2012 |
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Tues. April 17, 2012* |
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Wed. May 16, 2012* |
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Tues. June 5, 2012 |
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Tues. September 11, 2012* |
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Tues. September 25, 2012 |
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Tues. November 6, 2012 |
*Delegations permitted: parents/community members must register in advance to address the ARC directly with comments/concerns. Presentations will be limited to 5 minutes. Further information will be available closer to those dates.
Public Consultation Sessions
Parents, guardians and the general public are invited to all public consultation sessions. These consultation sessions will include a presentation as well as an open house. There will be an opportunity to ask questions of staff and submit written comments to the ARC.
All written comments will be posted on this website and become part of the public record.
Date/Time/Location |
Purpose |
Documents |
|---|---|---|
Tues. February 28, 2012 6:15pm - Presentation |
Review background information (no accommodation / boundary options will be presented) |
|
Tues. April 24, 2012 |
Present preliminary accommodation / boundary options |
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Tues. June 12, 2012 |
Present revised accommodation / boundary options |
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Tues. October 16, 2012 |
Present a preferred option and implementation recommendations |
Notices
School Council Meetings
A presentation was given to each school council involved in this review. The presentation contained a brief overview of the purpose of the review, the review process and timelines, and the role of the parent representative on the ARC.
To view the School Council Presentation please click here.
Presentation dates:
School |
Date |
Time |
|---|---|---|
Holy Spirit |
Tuesday November 29, 2011 |
6:30pm |
St. Ambrose |
Monday November 28, 2011 |
6:30pm |
St. Anne (C) |
Tuesday November 22, 2011 |
4:00pm |
St. Francis (C) |
Wednesday November 23, 2011 |
6:30pm |
St. Vincent de Paul |
Tuesday November 22, 2011 |
6:00pm |
Background Information
Schools Involved:
- Holy Spirit
- St. Ambrose
- St. Anne (Cambridge)
- St. Francis (Cambridge)
- St. Vincent de Paul
Goals of the SE Galt Review
- Determine the ideal long-term location and size for each Southeast Galt school.
- Determine long-term enrolment boundaries within the Southeast Galt Planning Area to balance enrolment amongst the schools.
- Explore the long-term sustainability of operating the schools in Southeast Galt.
- Establish the boundary and size of a new elementary school east of Dundas Street.
- Address site size and/or facility issues at St. Ambrose, St. Francis and St. Vincent de Paul.
- Determine how the full day kindergarten program can be fully implemented by 2014.
- Maximize the number of walkers.
Policy Documents
This accommodation review will follow the Closure Review Process outlined in APF008: Accommodation Review Process Part B “School Closure Review”. This accommodation review is subject to the Ministry of Education Pupil Accommodation Review Guidelines.
Accommodation Review Committee (ARC)
The ARC is responsible for leading the School Closure Review process. The ARC is made up of parents representatives, principals, WCDSB staff, Trustees, and community members. For more information, please review the ARC's Terms of Reference.
Questions & Answers
Will there be a new school built east of Dundas Street and when will it open?
This has not been determined. WCDSB has a school site reserved and the City of Cambridge has purchased land on behalf of the Board. The need for a new school will be assessed by the ARC. The timing of the school will depend on residential development and funding from the Ministry of Education.
When will boundary changes or school closures be implemented?
The timing of implementation will be determined by the ARC and will depend on the preferred option. No changes will occur for September 2012 as the School Closure Review process will not be complete. If the preferred option consists of boundary changes only and does not rely on construction then the earliest any changes could occur is September 2013. If the option is dependent upon a new school being built, then changes may take an additional two years.
What happens once the School Closure Review is finished?
Following a decision by the Board of Trustees, transition planning will begin. A Transition Plan will be created to help students and families become familiar with their new school communities and help everyone prepare for the move. Examples of how this has been done in the past can be found in Appendix D of the Board's Pupil Accommodation Review policy.
Has the future residential growth east of Dundas Street been factored into Holy Spirit's enrolment projections?
Yes. This development currently falls within Holy Spirit's boundary. The current projections anticipate that residential development will begin in 2014 and will not be completed within the next 10 years. Therefore, there is minimal impact on the five year enrolment projection for Holy Spirit and the ten year projection does not include the entire new community.
What is an Accommodation Review?
An accommodation review is a formal process that is used to evaluate and change how students are accommodated in our schools. There are two types of accommodation reviews: a Boundary Review and a School Closure Review. The Southeast Galt review will follow the School Closure Review process.
Which school(s) will close?
A School Closure Review does not necessarily mean that a school will close. This will be determined through the Southeast Galt School Closure Review process.
Has a decision already been made?
No. Nothing will be decided until the Board of Trustees votes at the end of the review process.
Who makes the final decision?
The Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) will make recommendations to the Director of Education. The Director will bring recommendations forward to the Board of Trustees. The Trustees will make the final decision.
How can I participate in the review?
There are many ways to participate in the review process.
- Visit the SE Galt website regularly
- Sign up for email updates (you can do this by emailing planning@wcdsb.ca)
- Attend the public consultation sessions
- Complete and submit the comment sheets provided at the public consultation sessions
- Email comments or questions to planning@wcdsb.ca
How are the public comments used?
All written comments are read by the ARC, Trustees and several WCDSB staff. Comments are taken into consideration by the committee when evaluating accommodation options and making recommendations. Comments are also taken into consideration by the Trustees prior to making a decision. All written comments will be appended to ARC meeting minutes, posted on this website, and become part of the public record.
If a parent representative on the ARC cannot attend an ARC meeting can they send a substitute?
No. The two parent reps and the Principal from each school can update each other if one is absent.
How are the enrolment projections created?
Enrolment projections are developed by the WCDSB Capital Planning Department. The projections take into consideration new housing development, historic enrolment trends in that particular area, census data, and live birth data. Live births are used to predict the number of JK students four (4) years later.
What are the walking distances for students?
JK-Grade 3 students living within 0.8km of their school are not eligible to receive transportation and therefore are considered walkers.
Grade 4 - Grade 8 students living within 1.6km of their school are considered walkers.
Glossary of Terms
SPI: Holy Spirit School abbreviation
AMB: St. Ambrose School abbreviation
ANN: St. Anne School abbreviation
FRC: St. Francis School abbreviation
VIN: St. Vincent de Paul School abbreviation
Accommodation Review Committee (ARC): A committee established to carry out a boundary review or school closure review.
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Enrolment: The enrolment calculated based on the number of students attending a school, with Junior and Senior Kindergarten students that are not enrolled in the full day kindergarten program counted as 0.5 since they are in the school half of the time.
Total Enrolment (or Total Bodies): The total number of students enrolled.
Full Day Kindergarten (FDK): A Ministry of Education program where all Junior and Senior Kindergarten students will be enrolled in school full time by 2014.
Facility Condition Index (FCI): A ratio used to measure the relative condition of a building, taking into account all building systems. It is calculated by dividing the Cost of Repairs for the building by the Current Replacement Value.
On-The-Ground (OTG) capacity: The rated capacity for a facility as indicated on the Ministry of Education's School Facilities Inventory System.
Operating Costs: Refers to all of the expenditures required to operate and maintain schools and facilities including but not limited to hydro, natural gas, water, snow clearing, cleaning, waste disposal, routine maintenance, and salaries.
Utilization/Percent Capacity: Calculated by dividing the FTE enrolment by the school's OTG capacity.
Contact Us
Written comments may be submitted by email, mail, fax or dropped off at your school. If you wish to receive email updates throughout the review, please send us an email.
Email: planning@wcdsb.ca
Mail:
35 Weber Street West
P.O. Box 91116
Kitchener, Ontario
N2G 4G2Fax: 519-569-4015
For more information, please contact:
Lindsay Ford
Property/Planning Officer
519-578-3660 ext. 2253
All data, reports, submissions, parent/ratepayer comments received during the Accommodation Review process are subject to Freedom of Information/Protection of Privacy legislation. All written public comments received by staff will be appended to the Accommodation Review Committee minutes and posted on this website. Comments that contain derogatory or otherwise inappropriate comments and personal or sensitive information (e.g. name, email address) will not be distributed. Public comments received throughout the process will become part of the public record.
