Glossary of Terms

Accommodation Review
A review of a school or group of schools where accommodation issues have been identified.
Such accommodation issues may arise from enrolment pressures, excess surplus space, building
condition concerns, program changes or changing demographics. Accommodation reviews
follow a Board approved policy and process, including public consultation.
Boundary Review
A review undertaken to alter the existing boundary of a school or group of schools. This may apply
to an area with a new school opening, or in areas where enrolment distribution does not efficiently
utilize available capacity. A Local Boundary Review Committee carries out the boundary
review process. Boundary reviews follow a Board approved process, which includes a public
consultation process when impacting existing students.
Dual Track
A school with both regular (English-language program) curriculum, and French Immersion curriculum.
Dual and Triple Feeder Areas
Students living in these areas have the option to attend any of the two (dual) or three (triple) secondary schools that they reside in the boundary of.
Duration
Long Term
Sustainable at 90% utilization for a minimum of 25 years
Medium Term
Sustainable at 90% utilization for a minimum of 7 years
Short Term
Any term of 7 years or less
Facility Condition Index (FCI)
A ratio developed by the Ministry of Education used to measure the relative condition of a building taking into account all building systems. The ratio is calculated by dividing the cost of repairs for the building by the replacement value.
Holding Area
A geographic area where students are temporarily accommodated in a school facility while awaiting a permanent accommodation solution (commonly new development areas awaiting a new school).
On-The-Ground Capacity (OTG)
The rated capacity for a facility (number of students the permanent structure can accommodate) as indicated on the Ministry of Education’s School Facilities Inventory System which is a database containing facility-related data of all schools in Ontario.
Port-a-Pak
A pre-engineered grouping of multiple temporary classrooms (portables) assembled under a common roof with a common hallway that may or may not be attached to a permanent building. Port a Paks are commonly found in increments of 2, but not less than 6, in a group.
Prohibitive-to-Repair (PTR)
A Ministry of Education designation for school facilities where the FCI (see above) is equal to or greater than 65%. A high FCI is indicative of the cost of repairs to the building compared to the cost to rebuild the facility.
Regular Track
Regular (English-language program) curriculum, with core French.
Single Track
A school with only one stream of curriculum.
Utilization
The measurement of the physical use of the school facility based on the comparison of Enrolment to the On-The-Ground (OTG) Capacity of the school.
Whitebelt
Lands with development potential that are unencumbered by development restrictions (Green Belt, Oak Ridges Moraine, etc.). In York Region, the municipalities of the Town of East Gwillimbury, the City of Markham, the Town of Whitchurch Stouffville and the City of Vaughan contain the majority of the whitebelt lands.