Done deal

Stage now set for accommodation review committees to begin closing schools

The Hastings-Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB) moved a step closer to closing schools on Monday approving the longterm capital and accommodation plan on Monday evening—without any discussion or debate.

The long-term capital and accommodation plan, first tabled in June, prescribes the framework by which the board will consider building viability as it looks to close schools in the face of declining enrolment across the region.

The plan originally caught the attention of County parents when proposals were made within it for closing specific schools and even amalgamating all educational services on the property of Prince Edward Collegiate Institute (PECI) in Picton to offer classes from kindergarten to grade 12.

The plan has since been modified to make it less explicit about which schools could be targetted for closure and amalgamation— yet the methodology remains largely intact from the initial draft.

Monday’s meeting ratified a committee vote earlier this month to approve the plan.

Dwayne Inch, who represents the County as a trustee, says discussion wasn’t necessary because most of it had already happened. He says the plan is simply a framework for further discussion.

“It’s one of those things where the longterm plan, it’s an ongoing plan, and there’s more conversations to have,” says Inch. “And I think those more in-depth conversations are yet to happen. Here’s the information, take it home, decipher it, take it back, and then the conversation begins. The conversations haven’t yet happened.”

HPEDSB planning manager Kim Horrigan, who helped author the plan, says after speaking with the public, the trustees and board staff, it became clear the scenarios initially listed were too specific for the plan.

Instead, staff will put potential plans for regions within the school board to trustees, using the data provided in the plan along with any new data that comes to light. At that point, trustees could choose to put the plan into motion. But even then, Horrigan says, it’s just an idea.

“Staff will pursue an initial report that will go to trustees for consideration, and it would outline accommodation reviews, which is public process,” says Horrigan.

The process can take many months or even years to complete. To parents, anxious to know the future of the schools their kids attend, that can be either comforting or frustrating.

“It can [take a long time],” Horrigan says. “It’s a process over a number of years, and depending what areas of the board we go to or make recommendations to initiate accommodation reviews, it could be over a period of time.”

HPEDSB’s director of education, Mandy Savery- Whiteway, says if all goes well, and the public is on the same page with staff and trustees, the path from a recommendation to a final plan of action could happen within a single school year.

“If we activate an accommodation review process in November, it is possible it could be concluded by June, or we could take it longer,” says Savery-Whiteway. “But we couldn’t make it any shorter.”

An accommodation review committee (ARC) will look at specific recommendations to close schools, perhaps expand others, and consider bussing implications.

“That is dictated, it’s a very explicit process, it includes public input,” says Savery- Whiteway. “If we bring forward a specific recommendation, all the trustees would do at that point, is to activate the accommodation review process. Then we go through the process, we gather the information and then we come back with a final recommendation to trustees and then they would decide.”

Savery-Whiteway says proposals for new ARCs could come as soon as November, but there was no clear timeline laid out.

“This is a framework for decision-making. It’s over 10 years. We can’t do it at once,” she says.

“I think what’s compelling us to move forward is to ensure that we’re providing excellent programming for our students. As you spread resources, it becomes more difficult to do that, so you’ve got several things at play. You’ve got wanting to provide excellent programming for students, you’ve got the reduction in funding from the ministry, you’ve got aging buildings and you’ve got excess space. So really, it’s all of those things coming together.”

Savery-Whiteway encourages parents interested in following the process to visit the board’s website or contact their trustees. She acknowledges information might be hard to find, but says once an ARC is enacted, that information will become more visible.

“If you currently go into our website and you go to Student Enrollment Student Capacity committees, you can see the committee meetings, but you can see all the resources beneath it. They’re all listed there. But we’ll make it more visible when we have an actual process under way.”