The following parameters will direct the development of a comprehensive plan to achieve the maximum utilization of current and future accommodation for enhancing student achievement and well-being.
- New Schools and Additions
- Consideration should be given to establishing new schools in communities where there is no existing Catholic school
- New schools and additions must be sustainable over the long term (see glossary) and shall be sized according to the communities they will serve
- Temporary Accommodation (Portables and Port-a-Paks)
Temporary Accommodation is intended to address short and medium term needs:- Short Term (see glossary) needs may be accommodated using portables
- Port-a-Paks or portables shall be used where there is a sustainable ‘temporary’ accommodation pressure over the medium term (see glossary), where boundary or program changes are not appropriate
- Boundary Changes and/or Program Moves where there is an accommodation pressure at a school and where there is a neighbouring school with excess capacity, boundary changes and/or program relocations may be considered.Grand-parenting provisions shall be discouraged or minimized and only approved by the Board of Trustees in extenuating circumstances.
- Boundary Changes
- School boundaries, where possible, may be drawn using physical divisions such as railways, utility
corridors, major roads, and environmental corridors (i.e.: woodlots, creeks and rivers). Consideration may
be given to parish or municipal boundaries. - Boundary changes may be required to align secondary and elementary feeder schools.
- Double and Triple Feeder School boundary alignments may be reviewed not less than every 4 years for
their effectiveness in meeting accommodation principles.
- School boundaries, where possible, may be drawn using physical divisions such as railways, utility
- Program Moves
When considering program relocation the following factors will be considered:- Available capacity within the building and potential to accommodate the program over the long term based on identified needs of the school and the potential benefit(s) to the school community
- Access and ability of the site to address traffic and parking, especially if transportation to the program is not provided by the Board
- Condition and configuration of the facility
- Minimizing vehicle ride times and travel distances where practical
- Ability to sustain the program over the long term
- Intake grades shall be capped respective to the overall capacity available at the school
- Boundary Changes
- Facility Partnerships
- Facility 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 consolidation is not an option (see 5b)
- A school has 3 or 4 available classrooms once a chapel and a music room have been allocated
- Future enrolment growth within the school boundary is anticipated over the long term
- Potential partnerships must:
- Be respectful of the Catholic Faith
- Uphold all applicable Board policies and procedures
- Ensure the safety of students
- Not be a competing interest
- Result in no cost to the Board
- Benefit an identified need in the school and/or school community
- Provide documentation demonstrating financial viability
- Facility 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:
- Accommodation Reviews
Accommodation Reviews are tools used to align our strategic commitment to student success with a fiscally responsible long term accommodation strategy.Enrolment shall be monitored and reported to the Board on an annual basis with a particular focus on:- Schools where the October 31st enrolment is below 60% of the Ministry rated “on-the-ground” (OTG)
capacity and the ten year enrolment projections indicate a decline with no anticipated future growth - Schools/Programs where the October 31st elementary enrolment for more than one grade is below 10,
unless it is a speciality program specifically designed with low student-teacher ratios
- Accommodation reviews shall be considered when:
- There is an immediate facility renewal pressure at a school that requires substantial capital investment and there is available space in neighbouring schools
- There are two or more under-enrolled schools and consolidation is a viable option
- There is an accommodation pressure at a school that cannot be addressed by a boundary change or program location.
- Except under extenuating circumstances school consolidations shall not be considered when:
- A consolidation will result in the loss of the Catholic school presence in a community and/or the community is remote
- There are no available pupil places in neighbouring schools
- The community has been subject to a boundary change/program relocation/ accommodation review in the preceding five years
- Schools where the October 31st enrolment is below 60% of the Ministry rated “on-the-ground” (OTG)
| Capital | Accommodation Term | Classrooms | Duration | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portables | Short Term | 10 or less | Less than 7 years | |
| Port-a-Paks | Medium Term | Minimum 6 classrooms | Sustainable at 90% for a minimum of 7 years | Port-a-Paks should not be installed where need is less than 5 years. Elementary is a priority over Secondary. Units installed in groups of two. |
| Additions/New Schools | Long Term | Minimum 2 classrooms | Sustainable at 90% for a minimum of 25 years | Opening should consider ability of holding school to hold students, and ideally target a 60% utilization of new school on opening day. |