HomeMy WebLinkAbout15 Business Services Report 7 Partial, 8 Nov 20003p.
OTTAWA- CARLETON DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
REPORT NO. 7, BUSINESS SERVICES COMMITTEE (PARTIAL)
TO: Board of Education DATE: 8 November 2000
A meeting of the Business Services Committee was held this evening at 133 Greenbank
Road, Nepean, commencing at 7.30 pm, in the Trustees' Committee Room, with Trustee Morse in
the chair. The record of attendance and other items will be contained in the full report.
1. Better Schools Partnership. Facilities & Physical Planning Strategic Plan
(Motion by Trustee Norm MacDonald)
A. THAT THE BOARD ENTER INTO AN EXPANDED ENERGY
PERFORMANCE CONTRACT WITH DUKESOLUTIONS TO PROVIDE
ENERGY RETROFITS TO SITES IN THE BOARD WHERE THERE ARE
REMAINING ENERGY EFFICIENCIES AVAILABLE, AND THAT THE
CHAIR AND DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION BE AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE
THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS;
B . THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE JOINT DEVELOPMENT OF A PROJECT
(W PLAN BY FACILITIES AND PHYSICAL PLANNING AND
DUKESOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS SCHOOL AND ORGANIZATIONAL
RENEWAL IMPROVEMENTS WITH A REPORT FOR APPROVAL TO THE
BOARD BY FEBRUARY 2001; AND
C. THAT STAFF DETERMINES THE POSITION OF THE MINISTRY OF
EDUCATION WITH RESPECT TO THE FUNDING OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY
INITIATIVES AND USE OF SUCH INITIATIVES TO ASSIST IN THE
CLOSURE OF THE SCHOOL RENEWAL GAP, WITH THE OUTCOME OF
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MINISTRY REPORTED TO THE BOARD AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
5. Draft Letter to Minister of Education re Fisher Park
(Motion by Trustee Chambers)
THAT THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD SEND A LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF
EDUCATION REGARDING THE PARTIAL DISPOSITION OF FISHER PARK
SCHOOL, AS OUTLINED IN APPENDIX A.
Update on Student Transfers 2001 -2002
(Motion by Trustee Morse)
THAT POLICY P.077.PLG, DESIGNATED SCHOOLS /STUDENT TRANSFERS, BE
AMENDED AS FOLLOWS AND AS OUTLINED IN APPENDIX B HERETO:
Business Services Committee - 1 - 11 October 2000
A. TO PERMIT SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO INTEND TO ENTER
A PROGRAM AT GRADE 10 WHICH IS NOT OFFERED AT THEIR
DESIGNATED SCHOOL TO ENTER AT GRADE 9 A SECONDARY SCHOOL
WHERE THAT PROGRAM IS OFFERED.
B . TO INCLUDE EASE OF ACCESS AS A REASON TO PROVIDE A TRANSFER,
WITHOUT BOARD TRANSPORTATION.
The meeting adjourned at 11:30 pm.
Pam Morse, Chair
Business Services Committee
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Business Services Committee - 2 - 11 October 2000
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OTTAWA-CARLETON
DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Officc of the Chair of the Board
8 November 2000
The Hon. Janet Ecker
Minister of Education and Training
22nd Floor, Mowat Block
900 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1L2
Dear Ms. Ecker:
The Ottawa- Carleton District School Board wrote to Drew Nameth, Director, Capital and
Operating Grants Administration Branch, regarding the partial disposition of the North wing of
Fisher Park School (letter attached as Appendix A). A reply (attached as Appendix B) was
received from Mr. Nameth indicating the Board could offer the wing through the disposition
process and that the pupil places would be removed from our inventory only if the spaces were
taken by one of our coterminous boards and used for regular day school.
Perhaps we did not make the case for partial disposition clear in our first letter. Let me
provide some facts about Fisher Park:
Built in 1949 on land leased from the City of Ottawa for 99 years. The remaining term is
43 years.
2. Served as a high school from date of construction until 1987, when the former Ottawa
Board of Education closed the school.
3. Transferred to the former Ottawa Separate School Board in 1987, as part of the transfer of
school properties following the Tamen Commission.
4. Operated as a Separate high school from 1987 to 1994, when the Ottawa Separate School
Board consolidated its high schools and returned the property to the Ottawa Board of
Education.
5. Fisher Park was re- opened as an intermediate school (grades 7 and 8) in 1994, as part of a
full -scale re- organization of the elementary schools in the central and near west areas of
Ottawa. As part of this initiative, the five elementary schools were re- organized as JK to
6 schools and two were renovated to meet the needs of these students.
6. Currently, Fisher Park has a student population of 541 in a site rated by the Ministry as
having a capacity of 844.5.
133 GREENBANK ROAD, NEPEAN, ONTARIO K2H 6L3
Tel: (613) 721 -1820 Fax: f613) 820 -6968 24 -Hour Automated Information Line (613) 596 -9222 XX)'cb Site- tvwwncdrhedltnn ra
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The building is composed of a main part with a wing ( "North" wing) containing 16
classrooms representing 338.5 pupil places.
The Board is seeking confirmation from the Ministry that the 338.5 spaces of the North
wing would be eliminated from the Board's inventory if:
a) the Board formally closes the space; and
b) offers it at no charge to the coterminous boards and the Ontario Realty
Corporation, in accordance with Regulation 444/98.
Should any of these bodies express interest in the space, subject to the current agreement
with the City, the Board would cooperate fully.
If none of them expressed interest, we could then move to examining other non - school
uses for the space, whether that would be administrative space or a compatible tenant.
The OCDSB believes that this request would not set a precedent. It is a unique situation.
Had the events described above (i.e., its closure as a high school by the OCDSB, its transfer to
another board, its return to the OCDSB and its re- opening as an intermediate school) occurred
since the coming into force of the Regulation, the OCDSB would have been required to add to its
pupil place inventory only the number of spaces utilized by the incoming population of
intermediate students. The unused areas of the building would have been available either for its
own use as administrative space or for lease to others. In both cases, this space would not appear
in the pupil place inventory. However, these events occurred prior to the Regulation and the
unused space is now a liability to the board instead of an asset which could be as either a source
of revenue or as a location for administrative functions. The OCDSB's actions conform to the
expectations of the regulations if not to its timeframe.
In our opinion, it is unlikely that the coterminous boards would be interested in the
whole school or a portion thereof if it were offered for disposition.
I look forward to a prompt response.
Sincerely,
Jim Libbey
Chair of the Board
C.C. Drew Nameth, Director, Capital and Operating Grants Administration Branch, MOE
Norbert Hartmann, Assistant Deputy Minister, MOE
Trustees
Jim Grieve, Director of Education/ Secretary of the Board
Rose -Marie Batley, Superintendent of Facilities and Physical Planning
AFP& NZ>1 x a3 34.
To Board for approval — 14 November 2000
OTTAWA- CARLETON DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
POLICY P.077.PLG
TITLE: DESIGNATED SCHOOLS /STUDENT TRANSFERS
Date Issued:
February 1999
Last Revised:
24 May 2000
Authorization: Board
99/02/01
Next Review:
02/2001
1.0 PURPOSE
To provide a framework to govern the administration of requests for student transfers.
2.0 DEFINITIONS
2.1 A student's designated school is a school within a group of schools which the student
would be eligible to attend by reason of:
a ) the place of residence of the student's parents/ guardians; or
b) in the case of a student over 18 years of age, the student's residence; and
C) the location of educational programs mandated under the Education Act and
the associated Board - mandated delivery options.
2.2 A group of schools is one or more schools serving a defined geographical area that
provides a range of programs to students residing in that area. A student is expected to
attend the school within whose boundary he /she resides which offers the program
selected by that student and his /her parents/ guardians.
Note 1: Not all programs or delivery options will necessarily be available within a
group of schools.
2.3 Application for a Student Transfer is required when a student wishes to attend a school
other than a designated school, except as provided in 3.3 and 3.4 below.
Note 2: Transportation is not necessarily provided when a student transfer is granted.
For example, transportation will not be provided in the case of a Student
Transfer granted to attend a school offering a delivery option not provided in
the student's designated school. A transfer to attend a school outside the
designated group of schools would not qualify for transportation; however,
transportation will be provided to students in Junior Kindergarten who are
attending schools under a transfer due to their intent to attend the receiving
school as their designated Early French Immersion or English Senior
Kindergarten school. See also Board Policy P.068.TRA: Student Transportation.
Note 3: A Student Transfer may be granted if:
a) the student can be accofnmodated at the receiving school;
To Board for approval — 14 November 2000
b) the application has been approved by both the sending and receiving
principals;
c) where there are eligibility requirements or prerequisites for entry to a
program, and the student meets these qualifications or prerequisites.
3.0 POLICY
3.1 Under Section 171(1) of the Education Act, the Board may establish designated
attendance boundaries for each elementary and secondary school.
3.2 Student Transfers are intended to meet specific student needs, and shall be
reviewed annually until the student has completed three full years in an
elementary school or two full years in a secondary school, after which the
student may remain in the receiving school regardless of program until the most
senior grade offered in the school has been completed. Should the reason for
granting the Student Transfer cease to be valid during the initial two years
(secondary) or three years (elementary), the student will be required to return
to his /her designated school.
3.3 The elementary student transfer process does not apply to Special Education
(including congregated Gifted programs) or ESL /ESD placement.
3.4 The secondary student transfer process does not apply to Special Education
(including congregated Gifted programs), to ESL /ESD or Vocational programs,
or to placement in a Secondary Alternate Site.
3.5 As part of normal registration procedures, students accepted into programs
subject to specific entry criteria (such as Arts, High Performance Athletes)
shall be required to file a Student Transfer application to facilitate student
tracking.
3.6 Students shall be required to attend their designated school unless a Student
Transfer has been approved. If adequate space is available in the receiving
school to accommodate additional students, a Student Transfer may be granted
on consideration of the following reasons:
a ) Elementary Student Transfer
i) child care arrangements;
ii) compassionate grounds;
iii) mid -year change of residence;
iv) mid -year change of program;
v) ease of access to the receiving school (transportation will not be
provided);
b) Secondary Student Transfer
i) access to a course package* that is not available at the
student's designated school;
access to an OAC course that is not available at the student's
designated school if the course is required for admission into a
post- secondary program as stated in the post- secondary
institution's admission requirements;
To Board for approval —14 November 2000
(W iii) compassionate grounds;
iv) mid -year change of residence;
v) a choice of semestered or non - semestered schooling for
educational reasons;
vi) ease of access to the receiving school (transportation will not be
provided).
*Note 4: A course package is a sequential series of courses, at different
grade levels, originating from the same Ministry guideline.
The series must include a minimum of three courses available
at the receiving school which are not available at the
student's designated school.
4.0 SPECIFIC DIRECTIVES
4.1 Parents wishing to register a student, or, if over 18, a student wishing to
register, at a school other than the student's designated school are required to
apply for a Student Transfer.
Revised 4.2 A transfer/ registration for program reasons may not be initiated until the grade
level at which the program commences, with the exception of the following:
a) at Junior Kindergarten, a student may apply for a transfer at the
designated school. However, if upon completion of JK, the student
opted not to choose the program for which the transfer was granted, the
student would return to his /her designated school for the newly
selected SK program; and
b) at the Grade 9 level, a student may apply for a transfer at the
designated school to access a course package that commences in Grade
10. However, if upon completion of Grade 9, the student opted not to
choose the course package for which the transfer was granted, the
student would return to his/her designated school.
Such transfers for program reasons shall be granted only if the student can be
accommodated at the receiving school, and if viability of programs is
maintained.
4.3 Where a request for a student transfer is not granted by a Staff Appeals Panel
under Procedures PR.568.PLG and PR.569.PLG: Designated Schools /Student
Transfers (Elementary/Secondary), a final appeal may be made to a trustee
panel, as outlined in Board Policy P.022.SCO: Appeals Hearing Panel
(Students).
4.4 The Director of Education is authorized to issue such procedures as may be
necessary to implement this policy.
5.0 REFERENCES
Board Policy P.022.SCO: Appeals Hearing Panel (Students)
Board Policy P.076: Pupil Accommodation
Board Policy P.068.TRA: Student Transportation
Board Procedure PR.556.TRA: Student Transportation
Board Procedure PR.568.PLG: Designated Schools /Student Transfers - Elementary
To Board for approval — 14 November 2000
Board Procedure PR.569.PLG: Designated Schools /Student Transfers — Secondary
Board Procedure PR.567.PLG: Pupil Accommodation