The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) is working on a plan for public schools in the Fergus area.
A report that is the first step in a boundary review for three Fergus elementary schools was received on Oct. 8 by trustees of the board through its business operations committee.
The goal of the review is to establish viable boundaries or grade structures for James McQueen PS, JD Hogarth PS and John Black PS in Fergus.
Both regular track and French Immersion (FI) programs will be included in the review.
Trustees were told the boundary review is primarily required because of anticipated enrolment pressures at James McQueen.
The school is projected to be at 132 per cent of its effective capacity in 2015, based on its current boundaries for JK to grade 4 French Immersion (FI) and JK to 6 regular track.
Board officials say the school’s 2.1-acre site is not ideally suitable for expansion or portables.
The increase in enrolment is tied to the planned introduction of full-day kindergarten (FDK) at James McQueen PS and JD Hogarth PS in September 2014.
FDK began at John Black PS in 2010-11 because it had immediately available classroom space.
An FDK renovation planned for completion at James McQueen PS by September 2014 will see three existing classrooms converted into two larger FDK classrooms.
JD Hogarth PS is currently undergoing a two-storey addition and interior renovations that will add four new classrooms.
The 2014-15 school year is the last in a five-year implementation plan for the provincially mandated FDK program.
While the projected enrolment at JD Hogarth PS is also on the rise, the school’s 12.9-acre site is better suited to handle excess capacity with “port-a-paks” and portables, state UGDSB officials.
Currently the school hosts JK to 8 regular track and Grades 5 to 8 (FI).
John Black PS currently offers a JK to 8 regular track program and at present the school is operating at less than its full capacity.
Projections suggest there will be a decline in enrolment in the future.
Next steps for the boundary review are:
– the committee decision to approve Report No. 1 must be ratified at the regular board meeting on Oct. 22;
– alternative boundary scenarios are to be developed by the staff boundary review committee from October to December;
– a second boundary review report with short-listed scenarios, an analysis and implementation details will be presented to trustees at the business operations committee meeting on Dec. 10; and
– a public information session will take place on Dec. 12 from 7 to 9pm at JD Hogarth PS.
Interested persons can read Report No. 1 on the boundary review’s webpage at www.ugdsb.on.ca/jmbr.
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