St. Agatha School Closure Review ARC Working Meeting #2 Thursday - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

• St. Agatha School Closure Review

ARC Working Meeting #2 Thursday October 20, 2016 Holy Rosary CES – Library

Initial Staff Report

• Existing Boundaries
• Purpose of the Review
• School Closure Review Process
• Previous Accommodation Reviews Involving St. Agatha
• Rationale for this School Closure Review
• Other Considerations (Enrolment, Costs, Leased Land)
• Baden Area
• Proposed Options

• School Closure Review in

accordance with: – Ministry’s 2015 Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline – Part B of WCDSB’s APF008 (Pupil Accommodation Review Process)

• Schools Involved:

– St. Agatha – St. Clement – Holy Rosary

• Only school considered for

closure will be St. Agatha

• Proposed implementation date

is September 2017

Purpose of the Review

• Low enrolment (current and projected)
• Sufficient space at Holy Rosary and St. Clement to

accommodate St. Agatha students

• St. Agatha has been deemed as prohibitive to repair and no

new capital funding to renovate school

• Funding to reduce surplus capacity at Holy Rosary
• WCDSB must address facility condition at St. Agatha and

utilization across the three schools: – Through a school closure review, WCDSB is proposing the closure of St. Agatha

• St. Agatha School Closure Review

Goals

• The following goals have been determined related to the St.

Agatha School Closure Review: – Being faithful to the WCDSB strategic plan, ensure that decisions are evidence based and responsive. Consolidate St. Agatha Catholic Elementary School into

• St. Clement and/or Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary

Schools. – Determine attendance boundaries that best meet board‐wide accommodation review goals and the priorities of the school communities.

Board‐wide Accommodation Review Goals

• The following goals relate to every accommodation review:

– Provide the highest quality learning environment possible. – Ensure an efficient use of system resources by balancing enrolment and facilities. – Provide a long term (5 years +) accommodation solution. – Create boundaries that maximize the number of students that can walk to school. – Provide logical attendance boundaries. – Reduce operating costs. – Develop accommodation options with consideration for Ministry

• f Education capital funding formulas and the Board’s Long Term

Capital Plan.

School Closure Review Process

• Staff required to complete Initial Staff Report – entire process

structured on this report.

• ARC is permitted to suggest other options:

– With supporting rationale – Within scope of the review

• To meet both sets of goals (St. Agatha School Closure Review

and the Board‐wide Accommodation Review)

• Board staff are responsible for carrying out the school closure review

process, and making recommendations to the Director of Education and Board of Trustees.

• Two Public meetings are required

– To solicit feedback from the community on the options presented within the initial staff report. – Specific input on boundaries contemplated.

• Following a decision to close a school, a separate committee will be

established to address the transition of students and staff.

Previous Accommodation Reviews Involving St. Agatha

• 2008‐2009 West Waterloo Accommodation review

– Schools Involved: St. Agatha, Holy Rosary, and St. Nicholas – To alleviate growth pressures at St. Nicholas and deal with surplus capacity at Holy Rosary – Outcome included boundary changes to all three schools as well as Sir Edgar Bauer

• 2013‐2014 Rural West School Closure Review

– Schools Involved: St. Agatha, Holy Rosary, St. Clement, Holy Family, and St. Nicholas. – To address site size and facility condition issues at St. Agatha, and to examine the long‐term sustainability of the schools in this area – Outcome included relocating some students living in the Baden area from Holy Family to St. Agatha and to seek funding to build a new St. Agatha School within the Township of Wilmot.

Rationale for this School Closure Review

1) Provincial Funding/Policy Changes

• August 2014 – New funding to manage excess capacity (right‐

sizing)

• March 2015 – New Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline

2) Building Condition and Funding for St. Agatha

• 2012 Ministry’s facility condition assessment
• $1.98M by 2016 + $513K over next 10 years
• Primarily evaluated permanent building
• Ministry confirmed funding would not be provided due to excess

space in surrounding schools

• 2016 Consultant’s facility condition assessment
• $3,365,957 over next 10 years

3) Funding to “Right‐Size” Holy Rosary

• March 2015 – Ministry funding to demolish 7 classrooms

Other Considerations

• Enrolment and Utilization

– Excess capacity

56% 75% 65%

Other Considerations

• Student Achievement and Well‐Being

– Fewer opportunities for diversity, co‐curricular activities, and collaborative learning. – Fewer opportunities for teaching staff to co‐plan.

• Operational Costs

– Extra Junior/Intermediate teacher to avoid triple grades. – Closure of St. Agatha would result in reduction of up to 3.5 FTE staff (annual cost savings of approx. $380,000) and operating costs of approx. $46,000 annually

• Leased Playground

– Lease will expire in 2019

• Residential Growth

– Very limited growth within boundaries

Baden Area

That the Board of Trustees modify the boundaries between St. Agatha Catholic Elementary School and Holy Family Catholic Elementary School effective immediately to re‐direct the Baden area that was subject to the 2014 boundary change to Holy

• Family. All St. Agatha

students living in that area (including siblings) would be grandparented to St. Agatha with transportation.

Option 1

2015 2016 PROJ 2017 PROJ 2021 PROJ 2026 PROJ Enrolment 292 281 267 210 213 Utilization 65% 63% 60% 47% 48% Enrolment 298 283 272 268 257 Utilization 112% 107% 103% 101% 97% Enrolment 590 564 539 478 470 Utilization 83% 79% 76% 67% 66% Holy Rosary (OTG = 447)

• St. Clement

(OTG = 265) Total (OTG = 712) SCHOOL

Advantages

• All students would move to St. Clement
• Students would continue attending a

rural school

• There would be operating cost savings of

~ $387,000 Disadvantages

• Students living in Waterloo would be

bussed to St. Clement

• St. Clement is part of St. David’s family
• f schools
• St. Clement may require a portable
• Holy Rosary’s low utilization unaffected

Option 2

Advantages

• All students would move to Holy Rosary
• No portables required
• Secondary boundaries unaffected
• There would be operating cost savings of

~ $379,000 Disadvantages

• Students bussed to a city school
• St. Clement’s low utilization unaffected

2015 2016 PROJ 2017 PROJ 2021 PROJ 2026 PROJ Enrolment

392 373 354 297 303

Utilization

88% 84% 79% 66% 68%

Enrolment

198 191 184 181 167

Utilization

75% 72% 70% 68% 63%

Enrolment 590 564 539 478 470 Utilization 83% 79% 76% 67% 66% Holy Rosary (OTG = 447)

• St. Clement

(OTG = 265) Total (OTG = 712) SCHOOL

Option 3

Advantages

• Improve utilization at both Holy Rosary

and St. Clement

• No portables required in the long term
• There would be operating cost savings of

~ $426,000 Disadvantages

• Students divided between two schools
• Some students bussed to a city school
• St. Clement is part of St. David’s family
• f schools

2015 2016 PROJ 2017 PROJ 2021 PROJ 2026 PROJ Enrolment

360 344 325 270 278

Utilization

81% 77% 73% 60% 62%

Enrolment

230 220 214 208 192

Utilization

87% 83% 81% 79% 72%

Enrolment 590 564 539 478 470 Utilization 83% 79% 76% 67% 66% Holy Rosary (OTG = 447)

• St. Clement

(OTG = 265) Total (OTG = 712) SCHOOL