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 of 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 65% 75% 56%
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 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 of schools • St. Clement may require a portable • Holy Rosary’s low utilization unaffected SCHOOL 2015 2016 PROJ 2017 PROJ 2021 PROJ 2026 PROJ Holy Rosary Enrolment 292 281 267 210 213 (OTG = 447) Utilization 65% 63% 60% 47% 48% St. Clement Enrolment 298 283 272 268 257 (OTG = 265) Utilization 112% 107% 103% 101% 97% Total Enrolment 590 564 539 478 470 (OTG = 712) 83% 79% 76% 67% 66% Utilization
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 SCHOOL 2015 2016 PROJ 2017 PROJ 2021 PROJ 2026 PROJ Holy Rosary Enrolment 392 373 354 297 303 (OTG = 447) Utilization 88% 84% 79% 66% 68% St. Clement Enrolment 198 191 184 181 167 (OTG = 265) Utilization 75% 72% 70% 68% 63% Total Enrolment 590 564 539 478 470 (OTG = 712) 83% 79% 76% 67% 66% Utilization
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 of schools SCHOOL 2015 2016 PROJ 2017 PROJ 2021 PROJ 2026 PROJ Holy Rosary Enrolment 360 344 325 270 278 (OTG = 447) Utilization 81% 77% 73% 60% 62% St. Clement Enrolment 230 220 214 208 192 (OTG = 265) Utilization 87% 83% 81% 79% 72% Total Enrolment 590 564 539 478 470 (OTG = 712) 83% 79% 76% 67% 66% Utilization
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