REVISED BOUNDARY OPTIONS EAST KITCHENER

REVISED BOUNDARY OPTIONS
EAST KITCHENER ACCOMMODATION REVIEW
During the 2007/08 school year the WCDSB conducted a review of the five schools located
within Planning Area #6: East Kitchener – St. Anne, Notre Dame, Canadian Martyrs, St. Daniel
and St. Patrick. The existing school boundaries are shown on Figure 1 below.
FIGURE 1: EXISTING BOUNDARIES
In June 2008 the Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) presented its recommendations to
the Board of Trustees. The ARC recommended to the trustees that they approve Option 4c
(Figure 2) which would result in the closure of Notre Dame and St. Patrick, and the construction
of a new elementary school to serve the east side of the planning area. While the Board of
Trustees approved the recommendation to close the two schools, the decision to approve the
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school boundaries proposed under Option 4c was deferred pending further assessment. The
trustees passed the following motion with regard to the school boundaries:
2008-80 – It was moved by M. Thomson Howell and seconded by G. Reitzel:
nd
THAT Motion #5 be tabled to the September 22 meeting of the Committee of the Whole Board
where staff will report on the implications of moving St. Patrick CES students as a block to the
new Grand River South school and of moving students from Notre Dame CES as a block to a
different school.”
FIGURE 2: OPTION 4c – RECOMMENDED BY THE ARC
The enrolment projections that were prepared for Option 4c are shown in the table below:
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CANADIAN MARTYRS
NOTRE DAME
ST. ANNE, K
ST. DANIEL
ST. PATRICK, K
GRAND RIVER SOUTH
Cap.
SCHOOL
2007
F.T.E.
2010
F.T.E.
2012
F.T.E.
2017
F.T.E.
282
320
290
300
330
512
294
410
409
412
366
416
350
456
324
400
318
365
374
409
Three options have been prepared in response to the Board resolution. Two of these options
examine the implications of moving St. Patrick students to the new school in Grand River South
and moving the entire Notre Dame community (home and bussed areas) to either St. Daniel or
St. Anne. The third option keeps the St. Patrick community intact at the new elementary school
but divides the Notre Dame community into two groups and sends them to different schools.
Option A
Option A (Figure 3) implements the Board motion by moving the entire Notre Dame school
community to St. Daniel and all of St. Patrick to the new elementary school in Grand River
South. The St. Daniel bussed area also moves to the new school. The St. Anne and Canadian
Martyrs school boundaries are unchanged from their existing configuration.
SCHOOL
CANADIAN MARTYRS
NOTRE DAME
ST. ANNE, K
ST. DANIEL
ST. PATRICK, K
GRAND RIVER SOUTH
Cap.
The resulting enrolment projections are shown on the following table:
2007
F.T.E.
2010
F.T.E.
2012
F.T.E.
2017
F.T.E.
282
320
290
300
330
512
294
420
418
416
361
409
350
434
330
400
299
365
381
426
Assuming an implementation date of 2010, the enrolment projections for the four remaining
schools is relatively well balanced against the available capacity. St. Daniel is slightly over
capacity but enrolment would slowly decline over the coming years. The projection numbers
compare favorably to those in Option 4c.
Option B
Option B also implements the Board motion by moving all of the Notre Dame students to St.
Anne and the St. Patrick students to the new elementary school. In order to accommodate all of
the Notre Dame students at St. Anne, and to keep enrolment at St. Daniel at an acceptable
level, it is necessary to transfer the St. Anne students from Pioneer Tower and a portion of
Chicopee to St. Daniel. The balance of the St. Anne Chicopee students and the St. Daniel
bused students move to the new school. The Canadian Martyrs boundary is unchanged.
The boundaries under Option B are shown in Figure 4 and the projected enrolment for Option B
is shown below:
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CANADIAN MARTYRS
NOTRE DAME
ST. ANNE, K
ST. DANIEL
ST. PATRICK, K
GRAND RIVER SOUTH
Cap.
SCHOOL
2007 .
F.T.E.
2010 .
F.T.E.
2012
.F.T.E.
2017
.F.T.E.
282
320
290
300
330
512
294
436
336
393
331
386
330
442
287
400
365
419
423
459
As in Option A enrolment is relatively well balanced amongst the four schools. Long term
enrolment at St. Daniels is slightly lower than in Option A while the enrolment at the Grand River
South school is slightly higher. The boundaries are much less contiguous than in Option 4c or
Option A however and represent only a marginal improvement over the existing boundaries.
FIGURE 3:
OPTION A
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FIGURE 4:
OPTION B
Option C
Option C (Figure 5) represents a compromise position by moving all of the St. Patrick students
to the new elementary school but divides the Notre Dame community St. Anne and St. Daniel.
The St. Anne students from the Chicopee area and the majority of the St. Daniel bussed
students are moved to the Grand River South school. The exception to this is that the St. Daniel
bused students living north of Fairway Road and west of Lackner Boulevard would remain at St.
Daniel. The St. Anne students in Pioneer Tower remain at St. Anne and Canadian Martyrs is
unchanged.
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FIGURE 5:
OPTION C
SCHOOL
CANADIAN MARTYRS
NOTRE DAME
ST. ANNE, K
ST. DANIEL
ST. PATRICK, K
GRAND RIVER SOUTH
Cap.
The enrolment projections for Option C are shown below:
2007
F.T.E.
2010
F.T.E.
2012
F.T.E.
2017
F.T.E.
282
320
290
300
330
512
294
410
353
412
315
416
293
456
252
400
375
416
431
481
Generally the balance between enrolment and capacity is not as good with Option C as it was
with Options 4c, A or B. The long term enrolment at St. Daniel slips well below capacity while
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enrolment at the Grand River South school is much higher. Under this scenario as many as 4
portables could be required at the new school by 2017.
Transportation and Number of Affected Students
The table below compares each of the new options against the ARC’s recommended option 4C
and the existing boundaries.
# Walking Students
# Bussed Students
# Students Affected
Existing
976
625
-
Option 4c
910
689
749
Option A
828
771
586
Option B
879
720
828
Option C
869
730
668
Discussion
Options A and B both implement the trustee motion by keeping the Notre Dame community
intact and sending St. Patrick to the new Grand River South school. Option C provides an
alternative that implements a portion of the trustee motion and serves as a counterpoint to
Option 4c as recommended by the ARC.
There are a number of factors which have historically been taken into consideration when
considering the relative merits of various boundary scenarios. These factors are discussed
below.
(i)
Enrolment vs. Capacity
The balance between capacity and enrollment at an individual school as it has implications for
the long term sustainability of the accommodation solution, there may be financial implications
as a result of portable placement and, in situations where enrollment is very low or where there
is overcrowding, there may be impacts on program delivery, student achievement and/or
extracurricular activities.
Enrolment in all of the options is relatively balanced however Options 4c and A have the best
enrolment balance of the four options. Options B and C both result in higher enrollments at the
new GRS school and enrollment that declines below the capacity of St. Daniel in the longer
term.
(ii)
Long Term Solution
Fluctuating enrollment may result in the need for future reviews which can cause anxiety in the
school community. Ideally, the accommodation solution should be in effect for a minimum of five
years but a longer term is desireable.
Enrolment decline at St. Daniel, in combination with overcrowding at the new GRS school could
lead to a desire for a future accommodation review under the Option B and C scenarios. The
enrollment projections for Options 4c and A suggest that enrollment will be relatively balanced in
the long term. Past experience with new schools has shown that enrollment often exceeds
projections as new schools tend to attract a higher percentage of young families. Having a
projected enrollment that is at or below capacity will give the school the flexibility to react to
higher enrollments or changes that may be initiated by the Ministry (e.g. full time kindergarten).
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When future flexibility is considered Option 4c would be the preferred scenario as the enrollment
projects most closely approximate the capacity of the schools.
(iii)
Walking vs Transported Students
Option 4c has the largest number of walking students of the four scenarios currently under
consideration. Notre Dame students living east of River Road are directed to Canadian Martyrs
in this option which is within walking distance. If the boundaries of Option 4c were to be revised
to direct all of the Notre Dame students from the home area to St. Anne, as is the case in each
of the other options, the number of walking students would be reduce by approximately 34
students to 876 students which is very similar to Option B.
Option A results in the greatest number of students requiring bus transportation of the four
options under consideration. This is primarily due to reduced number of students in the Notre
Dame home area that can walk to St. Daniel as opposed to St. Anne.
As mentioned above the number of walking students in Option B is very similar to that of Option
4c if the area east of River Road in Notre Dame’s boundary is treated in a similar manner in all
options.
Option C shares many features with Option 4c. The difference between the two options is that in
Option C St. Patrick moves from St. Daniel to the new Grand River South school while the
former Notre Dame bused area moves from the new Grand River South school to St. Daniel.
Consequently, the number of walking students is very similar to Option 4c.
(iv)
Number of students affected
The number of students affected by the boundary changes under Option 4c is somewhat higher
than in Option A and C. Option A affects the fewest number of students compared to the others
because it is the only option that does not affect any of the existing St. Anne students.
The number of affected students in Option B is the highest of all of the options considered. In
fact, of all the options that were considered in the original review, only one other option affected
a higher number of students. In this option only Canadian Martyrs, the St. Anne home area and
the St. Daniel home area are unaffected by the boundary changes.
The number of students affected in Option C is lower than Option 4c due to the fact that a small
part of the existing St. Daniel bused area (north of Fairway / west of Lackner), which transfers to
the new school in Option 4c, stays at St. Daniel in Option C. Approximately half of this area is
within walking distance of the new school. Option C affects 80 fewer students as a result of not
impacting the existing St. Anne student population.
(v)
Logical Boundaries
The boundaries in all scenarios follow readily identifiable geographic features such as major
roads, or open space. The boundary scenario in Option B is the only one where the divisions do
not seem to be logical.
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(vi)
Financial Implications
From a school operation standpoint all of the options would involve similar operational costs.
The only differences would lie in situations where a number of portables are required and as a
result utility and custodial costs might be higher.
Transportation costs are a combination of the number of students that need to be bussed and
the opportunities for efficiencies in the routing system. Those efficiencies are achieved by
minimizing the length of the bus trip thereby allowing the same bus to make multiple trips and by
coordinating school boundaries with the public board wherever possible. This maximizes the
potential for the coordination of bell times between schools to allow double runs and presents
the option of picking up students from both boards on the same bus.
Option 4c has the fewest number of students that need to be bused while at the same time
maximizing the potential for transportation efficiencies. In particular, public elementary students
within the Idlewood area (former Notre Dame bussed area) attend Lackner Woods P.S. and
some of these students are bussed. In Option 4c Catholic elementary students would be bussed
to the new Grand River South school which is in the same direction as the public board
students. There are obvious opportunities to realize efficiencies with this arrangement that may
not be available in the other options where the Catholic students are transported in the opposite
direction to St. Daniel or even St. Anne. The implications for transportation cost could only be
determined once bell times had been review, routes established and schedules developed.
The following table illustrates the projected portable requirements based on the enrollment
projections for the four schools. Option C has a slightly lower initial portable requirement in 2010
but the highest requirement after 10 years. Option 4c has the overall lowest portable
requirement of the four options and therefore the lowest capital cost requirements.
Option 4c
Option A
Option B
Option C
(vii)
2007
7
7
4
5
Number of Portables Required
2010
2012
3
3
3
3
3
4
2
2
2017
3
5
4
6
Competition for Students
Whenever a school closure or boundary change is contemplated there is an opportunity
introduced for parents to make an alternate decision regarding the education of their children.
Some consideration must be given to the likelihood that parents could choose the public board.
Those decisions are often made on the basis of convenience (distance to the nearest school)
and the quality of the school facilities available.
The public board alternative for students in the St. Patrick boundary would be Howard
Robertson Public School. This school is within walking distance but is a relatively older school.
St. Patrick students living east of River Road would be bused to Lackner Woods P.S.
The public board alternative for the Notre Dame home area (west of River Road) is Smithson
Public School which is located a few blocks south of Notre Dame. East of River Road public
school students attend Mackenzie King Public School which is nearly adjacent to Canadian
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Martyrs. Notre Dame bussed area students (Idlewood) would be Lackner Woods Public School
which is newer facility that is within walking distance for many of these students. The St. Daniel
bused area would primarily be served by Lackner Woods Public School. However, the area
south of Fairway Road is bussed to Sheppard Public School which is close to St. Anne. The St.
Anne bused area in Pioneer Tower, as well as the easterly half of the Chicopee area, is within
the attendance boundary for Preston Public School. The remainder of the St. Anne Chicopee
area attends Howard Roberston Public School.
Intuitively it would appear that there would be little incentive for parents to switch their children
from St. Patrick or St. Anne to Howard Robertson. Although Howard Robertson is closer, St.
Daniel has been extensively renovated and is in better condition. Similarly, the St. Anne bused
students from Chicopee would likely continue to attend Catholic schools whether that was the
new GRS school, St. Anne or St. Daniel.
In the Idlewood area it is anticipated there would be a strong desire for parents to send their
children to Lackner Woods in preference to sending them to St. Daniel. Lackner Woods is within
walking distance and is a relatively new school. In this case Option 4c would likely have the best
student retention.
Summary of Options
Based on the discussion of the various factors above a subjective assessment of the various
options has been completed. The table below illustrates how the options compare against each
other on a “good-better-best” scale. Open circles represent a good solution, half filled circles a
better solution and the filled circles represent the best solutions.
Factors
Option 4c
Option A
Option B
Option C
Enrolment vs. Capacity
# of Affected Students
Walking vs Transported Students
Long Term Solution
Logical Boundaries
Financial Implications
Competition for Students
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the assessment of the factors above, the recommendation of the Accommodation
Review Committee and the selection of Option 4c as the preferred alternative should be
approved. However, there is an opportunity to reconsider the school attendance area for those
students living east of River Road in the Notre Dame home area. In Option 4c the boundary for
Canadian Martyrs was established along River Road. Some members of the Notre Dame
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community were concerned that the school community would be divided between three schools
if this was implemented.
During the review process an informal telephone survey of the families living in this area was
conducted by the school principal and there was an impression that the families living within this
area would prefer to attend Canadian Martyrs over St. Anne. Following the decision by
Trustees to defer a decision for the East Kitchener boundaries, a survey was mailed to the
families in the area east of River Road on August 14th, 2008 in order to verify the preference of
the families in this area. Surveys were sent to 18 families living in the area east of River Road.
Eleven responses were received (67%) as of September 5, 2008. Of the twelve responses
received, seven indicated their preference to attend St. Anne while five indicated Canadian
Martyrs.
In the opinion of WCDSB planning staff, River Road represents the most logical long term
boundary between Canadian Martyrs and St. Anne. All students east of River Road are within
the walking zone for Canadian Martyrs. Leaving the boundary in its current location would
commit the Board to long term transportation costs. In addition, public board students from east
of River Road attend McKenzie King Public School which is located immediately north of
Canadian Martyrs. The westerly boundary for McKenzie King is also along River Road.
Establishing a common attendance boundary simplifies the school choice decision for parents.
As a compromise it is suggested that the boundary for Canadian Martyrs be established along
River Road as shown in Option 4c. However, existing students living within the area east of
River Road could be given the choice of attending either Canadian Martyrs or St. Anne with the
provision that transportation would not be provided to St. Anne. Any new students moving into
this area would be expected to attend Canadian Martyrs.
As a result it is recommended that the Board of Trustees approve Motion #5 as presented at the
Special Board Meeting of June 16, 2008, as follows:
THAT, effective September 2010, the boundaries for Canadian Martyrs, St. Anne, St. Daniel
and the new elementary school site be modified in accordance with Option 4c; and,
THAT the Board consider a grand-parenting provision to allow students entering Grade 8 in
September 2010 to finish their elementary schooling at their existing school – recognizing that
no transportation would be provided; and,
THAT new JK or SK student entering the school system for the first time in September 2009 be
allowed to enroll at their new school subject to the normal provision for out of boundary
permissions; and,
THAT a transition team be created to ease the transition of students into their new schools prior
to implementation of Option 4c in 2010.
It is also recommended that the Board of Trustees approve the following motion:
That existing Notre Dame students living east of River Road be given the option of attending St.
Anne or Canadian Martyrs with the provision that no transportation will be provided to St. Anne.
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