GUELPH – There are currently no suitable facility partnerships available in Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) schools this year, despite four schools meeting the criteria.
At the Dec. 8 Business Operations Committee meeting, UGDSB trustees heard a presentation from manager of planning Ruchika Angrish.
“The board’s primary responsibility is to support the achievement and safety of students,” she said.
“Within that context the board supports facility partnerships for a whole host of reasons, including: that the partnerships can improve services and supports available to students; reduce facility operating costs for school board and the government; … strengthens relationships between school boards, community partners and the public; … maximizes the use of public infrastructure through increased flexibility and utilization; and … provides a foundation for improved service delivery for the community.”
For an existing school to qualify for a facility partnership it must:
– have been 60 per cent utilized or less for the past two years and/or have 200 or more unused pupil places for the last two years; and
– be projected to be 60% utilized or less for the next five years.
For the 2020-21 school year, three elementary schools and one high school met at least some of the criteria.
– Alma Public School (53% utilization in 2019-20 and 55% utilization in 2020-21);
– Ross R. Mackay Public School in Hillsburgh (41% utilization in 2018-19, 46% in 2019-20 and 45% in 2020-21;
– Willow Road Public School in Guelph (54% utilization in 2018-19, 58% in 2019-20 and 55% in 2020-21; and
– Norwell District Secondary School with more than 200 pupil places unused for the last three years.
However, only Alma and Norwell meet the second criteria that low enrolment is projected to continue for the next five years.
Alma is expected to remain below a 60% utilization rate for at least the next five years due to smaller cohorts entering junior kindergarten but there remains less than 200 pupil spots available due to the school’s small size.
However, the school is currently accommodating the Education and Community Partnership Program for non-board students in unused space.
“While they don’t count for school’s enrolment and utilization, the board recognizes the value of this program and accommodates this use,” Angrish said.
Norwell has had more than 200 pupil spaces available for the last three years and is projected to stay this way for the next five years, despite remaining above the 60% utilization threshold.
“However, the space would require retrofitting or additional security measures installed in order to segregate the space for use by community partners,” Angrish said.
Ross R. MacKay is expected to experience increased enrolment when wastewater services are available in the Town of Erin and residential development and growth takes place in Hillsburgh.
“RR McKay does not meet the criteria of having more than 200 pupil space due to its overall small size,” Angrish said.
Trustee Jen Edwards asked whether there was any opportunity to facilitate a day care or a before and after school program at the school.
“Those are needs that I see for that,” she said. “There isn’t a day care at all in the village of Hillsburgh that is a system operated one or an official one.
“There’s home daycares but is there no chance of ever having a day care in as a co-partner with that school?”
Angrish said that possibility could be explored further at the community partnership meeting in the new year.
“The challenge becomes it’s a small school and sometimes with the small size it may not meet that space threshold,” she said.
“So if there’s any interest in that, which definitely can be explored, we can report back after the virtual meeting that is held by the community.”
While Willow Road meets both the criteria of a below 60% utilization rate and more than 200 pupil spaces available, the projected enrolment rises with the addition of French immersion at the school in 2023.
None of the four identified schools have suitable space for partnership opportunities.
Angrish also highlighted possible co-build opportunities at:
– new northwest Fergus elementary school;
– new Erin elementary school;
– Glenbrook Elementary School (Shelburne) addition;
– new Clair-Maltby Elementary School #1 (south Guelph)
– new Shelburne Elementary School
– new Clair Maltby Elementary School #2 (South Guelph); and
– new Grand Valley Elementary School .
“As the co-build partnerships of this nature, they require several years of exploration by interested parties. It isn’t unreasonable to flag these projects now in order to establish long-term interested parties,” Angrish said.
Staff will continue to work with community partners regarding interest in co-build opportunities at possible schools and additions.
The public meeting to discuss possible partner or co-build opportunities will be held in the new year, likely in a virtual format.
