The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) has completed its Long-Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP).
The LTAP, started about nine months ago, is a review of the board’s facilities, population projections and enrolment forecasts.
“The LTAP includes a list of priorities for the board to focus on in the short term (one to five years) and the long term (six to 10 years),” states the final report presented at the board’s June 12 business operations committee meeting.
“The LTAP does not include recommendations about changes to school programs or boundaries.
“Any future accommodation solutions must be considered through an open and transparent process, in accordance with the board policy.”
The LTAP process involved two public engagement sessions.
“The intent of the first phase …. was to create awareness and understanding of local school issues,” said UGDSB planning manager Jennifer Passy.
“We engaged the public using a workshop format to allow for school communities to share with staff what they valued and what they would like to see in their schools.”
A draft report was then presented to trustees to relay common issues and comments.
“This feedback also informed the writing of the draft [LTAP] report … and was the key element of the second phase of engagement, which involved five additional regional public meetings as well as meetings of the board’s advisory committee and elementary and secondary leadership groups,” Passy said.
“Feedback from the second phase was also considered in the drafting of the final LTAP report.”
The final report outlines short- and long-term priorities in each of the school board’s regions and
district-wide the UGDSB will be conducting a secondary program review.
While originally scheduled as a review for just the area where a new secondary school is to be constructed in south Guelph, the final report outlines a review that will look at the entire secondary program and identify ways to build on successes and identify potential gaps.
“In order to ensure that the board is able to respond to early input the board-wide review will be undertaken starting immediately rather than later,” Passy said.
“It is expected that the outcome of this process will still help inform program and design … as related to the new Guelph secondary school.”
The goal is to present the review to trustees in November.
“I just want to thank you for what is obviously an enormous amount of work, not to mention the travelling road show, which is also a fair amount of work …” said trustee Marty Fairbairn.
“This is going to be a very useful document going forward. It … gives a really good overview of what we need in the next five to 10 years, sometimes even sooner.”
Other aspects in the LTAP that impact Wellington schools are included below.
Guelph-Eramosa
Within five years the Guelph-Eramosa review area, which includes Harris Mill Public School, Eramosa Public School, Rockwood Centennial Public School, Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute, College Heights Secondary School, Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute, and John F. Ross Collegiate Vocational Institute, will undergo:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities;
– annual development areas reviews; and
– a feasibility study to investigate the potential to expand the International Baccalaureate program into Wellington County.
Long-term priorities (six to 10 years) for the area include:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities;
– annual development areas reviews;
– a pupil accommodation review (PAR) of Guelph-Eramosa schools. This is a ministry-mandated process to determine the future of a school or group of schools.
Wellington North
Wellington North schools include Arthur, Kenilworth and Victoria Cross (Mount Forest) public schools, as well as Centre Wellington District High School, Norwell District Secondary School and Wellington Heights Secondary School.
In the next five years those schools will undergo:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities;
– annual development areas reviews; and
– a feasibility study to investigate the potential to expand the International Baccalaureate program into Wellington County.
Long-term priorities (six to 10 years) for the area include:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities;
– annual development areas reviews; and
– a pupil accommodation review (PAR) for Arthur, Kenilworth and Victoria Cross public schools.
Minto
Schools in Minto include: Minto Clifford Public School, Palmerston Public School, Centre Wellington District High School, Norwell District Secondary School and Wellington Heights Secondary School.
In the next five years the LTAP has those schools scheduled for:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities;
– annual development areas reviews; and
– a feasibility study to investigate the potential to expand the International Baccalaureate program into the county.
In the next six to 10 years the priorities include:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities; and
– annual development areas reviews.
Mapleton
Schools serving Mapleton include: Alma, Centre Peel, Drayton Heights and Maryborough public schools, Centre Wellington District High School, Norwell District Secondary School and Wellington Heights Secondary School.
The short-term priorities (one to five years) for the area include:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities;
– annual development areas reviews;
– a feasibility study to investigate the potential to expand the International Baccalaureate program into the county; and
– the Centre Wellington Elementary Accommodation Review (which includes Alma Public School).
Long-term (six to 10 years) priorities include:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities; and
– annual development areas reviews.
Centre Wellington
Schools serving the Centre Wellington population include Elora, JD Hogarth, James McQueen, John Black, Ponsonby, Salem, and Victoria Terrace public schools, as well as Centre Wellington District High School, Norwell District Secondary School and Wellington Heights Secondary School.
The short-term (one to five years) priorities include:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities;
– annual development areas reviews;
– submission of a Ministry of Education capital priorities request for a new northwest Fergus elementary school;
– a feasibility study to investigate the potential to expand the International Baccalaureate program into the county; and
– the Centre Wellington Elementary Accommodation Review.
The long-term (six to 10 years) priorities include:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities; and
– annual development areas reviews.
Erin
Schools serving Erin include: Brisbane, Erin and Ross R. MacKay public schools and Erin District High School.
The short-term (one to five year) priorities include:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities;
– annual development areas reviews;
– impact study to look at French immersion and International Baccalaureate program opportunities in Dufferin/Orangeville and any impact on enrolment at Erin District High School; and
– a feasibility study to investigate the potential to expand the International Baccalaureate program into the county.
The long-term (six to 10 years) priorities include:
– the annual LTAP review;
– consideration for partnership opportunities; and
– annual development areas reviews.
Next step
The board trustees were scheduled to ratify the LTAP final report at the June 26 board meeting. Results were not known by press time.
