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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08a COW Public 7 May 2002 Minutes PublicOTTAWA - CARLETON DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD Report, Committee of the Whole (Public) (School Closures) TO: Board of Education DATE: 7 May 2002 A meeting of the Committee of the Whole (Public) (School Closures) was held this evening at 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, Ontario in the Board Room commencing at 7:50 p.m. with Trustee David Moen in the Chair and the following also in attendance: Trustees Russ Jackson (by phone), Margaret Lange, Myrna Laurenceson, Jim Libbey, Norm MacDonald, Sheryl MacDonald, Lynn Scott, and Joan Spice. Staff: Director of Education and Secretary of the Board, James Grieve; Superintendents Rose - Marie Batley, John Brennan, Dan Mason, Katharine Saunders, and Judy Turriff; Manager, Facilities, Planning and Transportation, Michael Carson; Planners Ian Baxter, Estelle Butler, Marc Labelle, Janet Sauriol, and Mark Smith; Planning Technician Stephan Belan, Communications Coordinator, Hyacinth Haddad; Manager, Physical Facilities/Design and Construction Services, Kathleen Lausman; Assistant Secretary of the Board, Joan Melancon; Principal, Program - Elementary, Robert Powell; Management, Policy and Planning Advisor, Janice Sargent; A/V Technician, Robert Giekes, and Committee Coordinator, Kim Young. Student Trustees: Emma Cohen, and Trevor Robinson Call to Order Trustee Moen called the meeting to order at 7:50 p.m., noting that Trustee Graham was unable to attend the meeting as she was attending the Women of Distinction Awards ceremony being held this evening, for which she had been nominated in the education category. Approval of Agenda On a motion by Trustee Spice, the agenda was approved as presented. Public Question Period a) Debra Wyatt In response to Debra Wyatt's query about the rapid population growth in the Cumberland/Orleans area, and the impact of this on enrolment projections and school closure decisions by the Board, Michael Carson noted that staff are aware of the developments in the area, which will likely create a need for a boundary review and adjustments in the future. He confirmed that the enrolment projections provided to trustees are still the staffs best estimate at this time. b) Victor Emerson Victor Emerson referred to the consolidation of the student population in fewer schools as a result of school closures, and the increased need to keep schools clean and safe, and asked how health and safety issues are addressed in the OCDSB's custodial budgets. Kathleen Lausman noted that custodial budgets are allocated based on a number of factors, including the square footage of the school, the number of occupants, the age of the building, ventilation issues, as well as health and safety issues. �a, c) Kellie Dennv Kellie Denny's asked whether J.H. Putman PS parents were consulted about Trustee Lange's proposed amendment which would redirect J.H. Putman PS students to D. Roy Kennedy PS in the event that the school is closed. Trustee Moen indicated that Trustee Lange would provide a response to her query during the debate on the amendment later in the meeting. d) Paul Britcus Paul Britcus, a J.H. Putman PS student, referred to the variety of extra - curricular activities currently in place at his school, and asked whether it was appropriate for the Board to close the school and move students to other schools where they would only be able to participate in extra - curricular activities during the lunch hour. Director Grieve noted that co- curricular activities scheduled during the lunch hour work well in some schools, for example, in rural areas where students are unable to attend either early morning or after- school activities due to transportation issues. He noted that while it is a challenge, it is possible, depending on the students' needs and demands, to arrange co- curricular activities before and after school hours, as well as during the lunch hour. e) Sheila Kennedy In response to Sheila Kennedy's query about whether D. Roy Kennedy PS parents were consulted about the proposed redirection of J. H. Putman PS students to D. Roy Kennedy, Trustee Moen noted that Trustee Lange would address the issue of consultation during the debate on the amendment. f) David Morrow David Morrow referred to the existence of three schools along Woodroffe Avenue, and expressed the view that the redirection of some J. H. Putman students to D. Roy Kennedy PS would result in even more unsafe traffic conditions along that street. He asked whether the City was consulted with respect to the potential impact of the proposed redirection. Michael Carson noted that the OCDSB consulted with the City of Ottawa when a traffic study was released two years ago, but did not contact the City regarding the impact on Woodroffe Avenue traffic conditions as a result of the proposed redirection of students. g) Lorraine Prezeau In response to Lorraine Prezeau's query about the relocation of three special education classes from Pinecrest PS to Fisher Park PS upon closing J.H. Putman PS, Superintendent Mason noted that the principals of the affected schools were asked to inform their school councils about the proposed relocations, as well as the opportunity for parents to participate in the school closure process as a delegation to the Board, or by letters to the Board on this issue. h) Barry Barclay Barry Barclay asked whether the Board is committed in principle, to alternate methods of revenue generation other than closing schools, such as corporate partnerships, or partial ownership of schools with the community. Director Grieve noted that the Board has made many difficult decisions in recent years (W with respect to reducing the budget in efforts to avoid closing schools. He confirmed that the Board is making every effort to be entrepreneurial, noting that it established a foundation to raise funds for students at risk, and that OCENET is working to generate revenue for use by the Board. i) Helen HoskinQ Helen Hosking referred to the Board's 22 April 2002 decision to remove J.S. Woodsworth HS from the list of proposed school closures, and expressed the view that removing the school from the list may impact procedurally on the process to close other schools. She asked why the Board was proceeding with the remainder of the closure process. Trustee Moen clarified that while he made a reference at the 22 April 2002 Board meeting to a legal opinion that impacted on his vote on the removal of J. S. Woodsworth HS from the list, it is not necessarily the case that other trustees based their decision - making on the in camera information provided by the Board's legal counsel. j) Tim Hoskins In response to Tim Hosking's query about the appropriateness of the Board continuing the debate on school closures, given that J. S. Woodsworth has been removed from the list, and the Board still needing to achieve $1 million in savings. Trustee Moen invited Mr. Hosking to attend the Committee of the Whole meetings to hear the debate on this issue. k) Natasha Chaykowski Natasha Chaykowski, of J. H. Putman PS, asked whether the Board has considered the fact that many students may choose to attend Catholic board schools if schools are closed across the system. Director Grieve noted that staff considered the possibility that some students may choose to switch to the OCCSB, and the Board naturally would prefer its students to remain in the public school system. Michael Carson noted that in general, staff recognize that students make decisions to change systems or programs for a variety of reasons, including school closures. 1) Krista Mar eg son In response to Krista Margeson's query about the impact of Trustee Lange's redirection proposal on local secondary school French Immersion programs, Director Grieve noted that Ms. Margeson's question raises some very valid, but complicated issues. He noted that many of the Grade 7 and 8 EFI students at J. H. Putman PS might not wish to attend Fisher Park. Superintendent Saunders noted that the transfer policy would be used to determine if students are eligible to transfer to another school other than their designated school. M) Angela Connidis In response to Angela Connidis' concerns about J. H. Putman PS students being bused to Fisher Park PS, given the heavy traffic conditions on Baseline Road, Michael Carson noted that staff is aware of parents' safety concerns, and noted that the Board eliminated transportation for Grade 7 and 8 students in the UTA based on the fact that public transportation is a viable option for these students. Some parents may choose to pursue other transportation options for their children. 4. Trustee Ouestions to Staff In response to trustee queries, staff reported the following: • Of the fifteen students in the General Learning Program (GLP) at Century PS, eight would normally be transferring out of the program in September, the other seven students would attend Fisher Park PS. • Staff will provide information regarding the relocation of students from the GLP at Pinecrest PS if they do not attend Fisher Park PS. They noted that students in the GLP at Pinecrest PS are between 11 and 13 years of age. • During the enrolment projection process, which begins in January and February each year, staff consider the cohort at each school, the development taking place around each school, and positive and negative grade retention rates. This information is important to the staffing process, which is updated three times in the months prior to the beginning of the school year, and is used in making up -to -date enrolment projections. Trustees receive information about development and population growth through a variety of reports. • Enrolment projections are generally .5 to 1 percent under or over the actual enrolment figures each year. • It was noted that the estimate of .16, which describes the yield of students from new housing developments who may attend OCDSB schools, might have to be reassessed for the eastern part of the Board, given recent housing starts in the area, as well as a re- evaluation of other factors related to the yield, including transportation, and schools where students are being directed. • It was confirmed that one or two portables, in addition to the one currently in use, would be required at D. Roy Kennedy PS if Trustee Lange's amendment regarding the redirection of J. H Putman students to D. Roy Kennedy PS is approved by the Board. • It was clarified by Michael Carson that the amount of the small school grant received by the Board for Riverview (Cumberland) PS is $109,000. Commencement of Debate on Recommended Closures: • J.H. Putman Public School Notice of motion having been given, Trustee Lange moved: Whereas, Parents living in the western part of the J.H. Putman attendance area have expressed concern that, in the event of the closure of J. H. Putman, the redirection of students to Fisher Park would necessitate a longer commute for their students; Parents of the JH Putman students expressed a preference to have the Grade 7 and 8 EFI students attend their neighborhood school D. Roy Kennedy; The Grade 7 and 8 EFI students would then be co- located with the Grade 7 and 8 MFI students and English program students who collectively form the feeder group for Woodroffe HS; 4 M., The number of Grade 7 and 8 EFI students in this attendance area is estimated by the planning staff to be 61; Under the present flexible transfer policy in place, the option of attending Fisher Park would continue to be open to the Grade 7 and 8 EFI students living in the DRK attendance area. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: A. The grade 7 and 8 Early French Immersion students living in the western part of the J H Putman attendance area be redirected to D. Roy Kennedy P.S. with the remainder of the students to be directed to Fisher Park P.S. B. The eastern boundary for this EFI attendance area to be coincident with the secondary school attendance boundary for Woodroffe HS. , which is along Woodroffe Ave. from the Ottawa River to Carling Avenue, along Carling Avenue to Maitland, south along Maitland Avenue to the Queensway, along the Queensway to Clyde Ave., southward along Clyde to Baseline taking in both sides of Clyde from Castle Hill Crescent to Baseline Road. The southern boundary would remain at Baseline and the western boundary at the former Nepean city limit, as per the boundary for JH Putman, and; C. THAT the OCDSB explore the feasibility of establishing a Middle French Immersion (MFI) program in the western area of the Board to serve the needs of MFI students in the area. In introducing the amendment, Trustee Lange noted that the OCDSB has engaged in a number of school closure processes over the years, and a resolution of this issue is needed as soon as possible so that (bw the Board can focus on other important issues, including the review and adjustment of boundaries, and the rationalization of programs across the Board. Trustee Lange explained that she received positive feedback from the parents of students at J. H. Putman PS, Woodroffe PS, and Agincourt PS regarding her amendment, at a public meeting chaired by the School Council Chairs of the three schools, as well as at a Woodroffe PS School Council meeting. She explained that the intent of the amendment is to address the concerns of students about being directed to Fisher Park PS, and then separated from their peers by being redirected to a number of different secondary schools. With respect to Part C of the amendment, Trustee Lange explained that if approved, it would allow students to be served in their own schools, and would address transportation concerns as well. Trustees speaking against the amendment noted that D. Roy Kennedy PS is over - crowded, and the redirection of students would necessitate the movement of the MFI program at the school. The addition of 61 J. H. Putman students to D. Roy Kennedy would require the addition of at least one portable, on a property that already offers a limited playground area for students. Other trustees questioned the flexibility of the transfer policy in allowing Grade 7 and 8 students from the D. Roy Kennedy PS catchment area to transfer to Fisher Park PS if the school is over capacity. Some trustees noted that Fisher Park PS already offers an EFI program, and it would be preferable not to establish new MFI programs until a rationalization of programs across the Board has taken place. Student Trustee Robinson spoke against the amendment, noting that it would be inappropriate for students to travel further from their community to attend a school where they may be housed in portables. He suggested instead, that the Board reallocate students equitably among the schools in the area. In wrap -up, Trustee Lange urged the trustees to support the amendment, noting that it would allow students to access their program of choice at a school closer to home, and allow them to remain with their cohorts for secondary school. She also pointed out that if the Board established an MFI program in the near west section of the Board, it would attract approximately 75 students to the area, instead of over - utilizing D. Roy Kennedy PS. The amendment was defeated. The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. to be continued on May 2002. ky /cow - public- 7mayOldoc David Moen, Chair Committee of the Whole