January 28 2013 presentation by Karen Marcell Decisions. We make - PDF document

January 28 2013 presentation by Karen Marcell Decisions. We make them every day. Some are Routine . Some are Reactive with unintended consequences. Some are Proactive, Well Thought out and can Result in Far Reaching Benefits. With respect to the Bluewat er District School Board’s proposed closure of Derby Public School, I firmly believe this to be a Reactive Decision. Reactive in that closure seems like an easy way to gain a few thousand dollars when the Board has a budget with little to spend on non salary costs & with which to operate its schools. Reactive in that the unfunded school capital expenses causing Derby grief are a symptom of a problem that will escalate over the next 20 years as all schools become prohibitive to repair. The past 8 months of this process surely has provided sufficient support that Derby does Matter to the School Board by remaining the vibrant school that it is. The value of Derby to the School Board surely isn’t to be measured by its elimination. Let’s reiterate what we ha ve established to date: Derby does not have Health and Safety issues, it does not have an enrollment or operating cost issues. It not only provides an exceptional place for learning, parent involvement and community support it actually should be a considered as an environment worthy of modeling other schools after. So let’s be Proactive. Let’s look at the options that are available to us and this time let’s also look at how we can extend our findings so that the school board can make some boarder applications to the unfunded capital issues for elementary schools within the entire board. At this critical stage in the Board’s history the necessary time should be taken. It will be time well spent and will help the Board as it adheres to Ministry policy and addresses its own Operational Reporting deficiencies. The following is an executive summary of alternatives to closure that I have researched & would like the ARC to consider. Simply put: 1/ Renovate what we have, 2/ Construct what we are missing 3/ Partner with those who also need what we have 4/ Fund what we can via our biggest partner - the Municipality

First of all - Renovate : Of the structural items reported on Page 12 of the September ARC information report - that are not roof related, I would think that replacing the wood floors over the wood framed crawl space and resealing the below grade walls would appear to be a priority. All the remaining non-roof items should be budgeted to be addressed over the next 10 years not 5 years as the report seems to indicate. It seems to me that th e Ministry’s goal of k eeping all schools in Ontario as facilities of similar condition should only be seen as the bar to which you are attempting to reach – it should not be the crow bar with which to close schools - particularly where the Value of the School to the Student far outweighs any benefit gained from its closure. After all, If we the parents of the students are willing to accept that the replacement of aged window coverings, older doors and hardware, a fresh coat of paint, new carpet in the library, stained ceiling tiles, upgraded cupboards in classrooms, a bit of fence work, and the filling some cracks in asphalt will be addressed as money is available or as we are permitted to personally contribute towards this , should this not matter more – IT IS OUR TAX MONEY AFTERALL. So with our thinking caps on let’s look outside the box for a moment – Wh y don’t we spear head the creation of a Restore for the schools in our area where retrofit items could be donated. Also is there not a way for qualified professionals to donate their time to paint a school. When it comes to our community centre we certainly look at this as an option. Moving on - let’s look at Construction Issues : At this stage we are now waiting on the update to the building condition assessment based on October 2012 site visit. Indeed this is needed to provide further information as to the status of the roof but as any building owner is aware you must always be planning for its eventual upgrade. One solution that, I feel, has merit for schools across the entire school board is Green roof technology & the use of solar panels. Derby is perfectly situated for the inclusion of roof top solar panels and the implementation of what’s called an Extensive Green Roof has shown to work well with these Photovoltaic panels. The planting of 3 to 6” light weight growing medium above the roof membrane has many benefits including the extended life for the roof membrane (up to twice as long as conventional roofing), energy savings for cooling and heating, and enhanced electricity generation for the solar panel as the roof is cooler. Grants most definitely exist for green solutions especially where there is a partnership with a municipality even at the Investigative stage. Derby, its students and its graduates have received many national acknowledgements for their work done in environmental leadership and commitment so this is really a next step that must be given serious consideration. Thinking outside the box again – what high school class or university wouldn’t jump at the chance for an advanced study of the application of technology, science, and engineering. Many a science fair project has already presented this – wouldn’t it be something if the board actually was seen as a proactive

educator. A lot of work – you bet – but as I mentioned this analysis has far reaching implications to all schools – so it is time well spent. Finally, let’s look at Partnering I am a person that firmly believes that when scenarios are presented to us - it is up to us to determine what we make of them. Take for instance the issue of Derby being left as a sole school under review. What if we view this as a one to one opportunity to examine the partnership opportunities between Derby school & Georgian Bluffs with the school becoming an essential part of facilities that the Municipality has to offer ? There is indeed many instances of funding available with a Municipality as a partner that is not available to the School Board. The Ontario Trillium Fund Grants, Many sources of Accessibility Grants, Green Municipal Funding, Green Energy Funding, Enabling Change Partnership Partnership Program, Trillium Foundation Community Program Grants, & Future Fund grants are some great examples. One of the other structural issues the school has relates to something promised at the last ARC years ago. In reality, I’m not sure that the board has the mindset to pursue this on their own. So let’s look to partnering to create a new gym . Let’ s include an outreach room, handicapped washroom, and two new classrooms to north and east of the existing building where the municipality owns and leases it to the school during school hours. What if it also had a green roof and solar panels? What if seniors were able to meet here and know that there were protocols in place that would provide them with a safe and accessible place to visit. What better environment is there for our aging population than with the next generation. The Ministry has endorsed and Encouraged facility partnerships – one only has to read February 11, 2010 memo from the Assistant Deputy Minister to get some sense of this endorsement and the roadmap for implementation. Encouraging? Yes - most definitely. In closing, Projected enrollment shows a decline of students in all our schools – not in dispute. As any building owner will tell you having great tenants and being at capacity is necessary for the financial stability & the ability to stay on top of upgrades. So yes, having less students as tenants may mean that a Reactive decision would be to look at moving our tenants to the next building, selling the existing building and keep the money flowing (until the next crisis) . But we aren’t building owners and we shouldn’t make Reactive decisions. Spend the time before you close another school and make a proactive decision – all of the Bluewater students deserve that extra effort. Nothing is ever lost when brainstorming is allowed to proceed.