HomeMy WebLinkAbout13.1 Cameron Ketchum and Stephanie Pieri, re Fundraising to Replace Playground Infrastructure Delegation
Name: Cameron Ketchum
Summary of main points for the issue/ concern:
On behalf of the Parent Council at W.E.Gowling Public School in the Carlington nei ghbourhood,this
delegation will highlight concerns around the removal of our school's playground infrastructure, including:
Heavy reliance on community fundraising to replace playground resources.
Absence of clear and equitable Board strategies for replacing critical infrastructure when they reach
the end of their lifecycle, especially for schools in more marginalized communities and with limited
fundraising potential.
Limited Board capacity to support volunteer Parent Council leadership, including endorsing critical
grant applications, a commitment to substantive co-planning/co-funding,and open lines of
communication around purchasing, logistics, project delays,and overall problem solving.
Resistance to exploring options for substantive in-kind community contributions to make these
projects more feasible and timely.
Context and Background:
WE Gowling's kinder yard playground has been removed already and its junior structure will be removed
within two years.The cost to place both will be approximately$300,000.The Parent Council has been
fundraising for the anticipated replacement of the kinder structure for almost 10 years and has raised
about$100,000 to put towards this project(while also fundraising for a range of other school resources over
the years).The need to remove the second structure was only made clear this year and fundraising to
replace it in time is not possible.
While the kinder yard was scheduled to be replaced this summer, the project has been delayed for at least
one year due to parts not being available (although we are not clear whether there are options available to
alter designs based on what is available.
Recommendation(s) for resolution of issue:
The Parent Council at WE Gowling Public School is making this delegation both to encourage greater
support for this project(including speeding up the replacement process)and to advocate for enhanced
processes, planning and clarity at the Board level, so all schools can have greater confidence that there
are equitable standards in place, and greater clarity on timelines, Board capacity to support and partner
with Parent Councils on the solutions, resources and effort required to address this challenges.
Our recommendations to resolve these structural challenges are as follows:
Greater Transparency
Detailed insights into how and why delays are occurring and how we can work together to mitigate
them.
Full clarity on the processes required to address playground infrastructure issues most effectively
and what support is available through the OCDSB.
Detailed answers to our specific questions submitted to the Facilities Dept around delays to the
kinder playground installation.
Greater Accountability
Commitment to work more closely with Parent Councils on clear timelines,funding opportunities and
problem-solving.
Clarity on successful precedents and/or new and creative approaches available to schools/Parent
Councils that would align with OCDSB requirements.
Willingness to engage in an ongoing conversation around how Parent Councils and
communities/neighbourhoods can be more engaged in playground/campus redevelopment.
These objectives are grounded in the critical equity issues at play when it comes to resourcing
infrastructure renewal for public schools in general (source-https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/rich-
school-poor-school).
The challenge we are facing is clear example of structural/systems issues working against schools like
ours in achieving our goals in a realistic way. We are prepared to be creative and ambitious but need a
similar willingness from the OCDSB to explore options and opportunities, which may also bring about
scalable solutions for other schools.