2024-2029 Long Term Accommodation Plan

A Long Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP) is a comprehensive, multi-year planning document that outlines the utilization of current facilities and possible accommodation initiatives that respond to changing demographics within York Region and program and partnership needs.

The LTAP is a key piece of the Board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan and is guided by Ministry of Education legislation and expectations.

The LTAP outlines a set of planning principles and parameters that assist in guiding the development of the plan and subsequent accommodation decision making. The Plan also includes enrolment projections, demographic trends, school information and outlines a Summary of Accommodation Initiatives.

The development and implementation of the LTAP is a critical component to the success of YCDSB’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan. Guided by the Ministry of Education’s expectations and in compliance with the YCDSB’s values of “Catholicity, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Excellence, Fiscal Responsibility, Integrity and Respect”, the LTAP focuses on sustainable solutions to specifically identify and address YCDSB’s:

• Excess space and growth needs
• Sustainability of facility needs for current programs
• Opportunities for new programs and partnerships; and
• Opportunities to redirect fixed resources.

The Summary of Accommodation Initiatives outlines a set of recommended initiatives / action items throughout YCDSB schools that are developed with consideration of the Board’s Accommodation Principles and Parameters. Accommodation Initiatives are listed by type of initiative, including:

• Community planning and partnerships
• Property – new schools and additions / renovations
• Temporary Accommodation Strategies
• Secondary dual/triple feeder areas
• Enrolment pressures – excess capacity and pupil accommodation reviews

Initiatives are organized in short (1-2 years), medium (3-5 years) and long-term (+5) format. Each initiative involves further investigation, analysis and may include additional discussions with the local community. Accommodation planning is a dynamic process and as such accommodation initiatives are viewed as proposed solutions and may change with the changing accommodation pressures of the Board.

The LTAP is developed every four to five years and reviewed annually. The most recent LTAP was developed for the 2019-2024 time period and as such, a comprehensive review of the Plan is needed.

The LTAP focuses on the four (4) Rs:

• “Right Program” (student success, elementary and / or secondary initiatives);
• “Right Facility” (physical space in the building, school yard and parking lot);
• “Right Size” (student placements, school organization); and
• “Right Location” (geography)

While there are some new additions or schools planned, the overall enrolment continues to decline and there is projected to be an increasing number of smaller schools and surplus space in existing schools. As the Province has a moratorium (temporary pause) on pupil accommodation reviews (school closures) since 2017, the importance of initiatives like partnerships and boundary reviews is more prominent.

Enrolment projection methodology can be found in Section 15 of the YCDSB LTAP document on our website!

Yes, the York Catholic District School Board is circulated on all residential development plans by municipalities. The Planning Department utilizes the information on units and phasing in developing enrolment projections.

The YCDSB Planning Department is in regular communication with municipalities and developers to track development and unit occupancy.

The Provincial government imposed a moratorium (temporary suspension) on school closures in 2017, at this time it is unknown when the moratorium may be lifted. The LTAP proposes to continue to monitor and investigate opportunities for Accommodation Reviews.  Please refer to Section 6 of the DRAFT LTAP.

Section 9 of the YCDSB LTAP lists the candidate schools for potential facility partnerships, as of school year 2023-2024. However, opportunities are not limited solely to the facilities listed in Section 9.

The Planning department works with organizations and internal/external partners if space is available. Where there is interest, proposals will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Partnerships are applicable when a school is operating with excess capacity projected over a number of years and one or more of the following parameters apply:

• A school is not part of an active accommodation review;
• The school has available classrooms once a chapel, music and more resource rooms have been allocated.

For eligibility requirements for potential partnerships, refer to Board Policy 704.