Accommodation Review
Procedures Manual 305-A
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1.
Administration
Director of Education or Designate
June 2002
March 2007, September 2013
2018-2019 School Year
General
These procedures set out the reference criteria for an Accommodation Review,
the process involved, the composition and role of the Accommodation Review
Committee, the role of resource staff, timelines for a review, the public
consultation process, implementation of recommendations and the Ministry of
Education’s Administrative Review process. Appendices include the contents of
the staff and ARC reports, and the School Information Profile.
2.
Terms and Definitions
Accommodation Review
An Accommodation Review is a Ministry-mandated process to determine the
future of a school or group of schools.
Accommodation Review Committee (ARC)
An ARC is an advisory committee formed by the Board during an
Accommodation Review. It is made up of people from the school community
such as parents, community members, educators, and Trustees.
Attendance area
An attendance area is a geographical area where the boundaries of which are
designated by the Board to provide for the educational needs of the children of
the area.
Consolidation
Consolidation refers to the merging of two or more schools or programs into one
facility to create a new or enlarged school or program.
Facility
Facility is the physical components of a school.
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Facility Condition Index (FCI)
Facility Condition Index is a ratio used to measure the relative condition of a
building taking into account all building systems. It is calculated by dividing the
cost of repairs for the building by the replacement value.
On The Ground Capacity (OTG)
On the ground capacity is the student loading capacity of the school as reported
annually to the Ministry of Education for grant purposes and reflects all
permanent teaching space available for instructional purposes. OTG capacity
does not include capacity in temporary facilities (ie. portables or portapaks).
Prohibitive to Repair (PTR)
Prohibitive to repair is the cost of renovating a school (within the renewal
resources provided by Ministry of Education grants) which is 65% or greater than
the cost of building a new school.
Public Consultation Period
The public consultation period is the period between the first public meeting and
the fourth (or final) public meeting held as part of the Accommodation Review
process.
Review Area
A review area may include the attendance area of an individual school or group
of schools, family of schools, Municipal or any other geographic area.
School
A school is a facility that accommodates a body of elementary students or
secondary students that is organized as a unit for educational purposes under
the jurisdiction of the Board.
Utilization
School utilization measures the extent to which a school is operating at full
capacity. The Board uses two points of reference to compare school utilization;
Underutilized and Overcrowded.
3.
Reference Criteria for Accommodation Review
3.1
The Upper Grand District School Board is committed to improving and
enhancing the learning environment in its schools and to supporting
student achievement through a full range of educational opportunities.
3.2
There are a number of factors that can impact on student accommodation
and/or program including, but not limited to, changes in: student
enrolment, educational policies, curriculum, Ministry of Education
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initiatives, physical limitations of buildings and building infrastructure.
These factors may affect the Board’s ability to deliver effective and
efficient education across the jurisdiction.
3.3
3.4
An Accommodation Review may be considered if one, or a combination of
the following criteria apply to any school or group of schools or area.
3.3.1
Underutilized – Any school where the Full Time Equivalent (FTE)
enrolment falls, or is projected to fall below 80% utilization. This
utilization analysis will consider a minimum of two (2) years prior
to the current year, the current year and a minimum of the two (2)
years of projected utilization following the current year.
3.3.2
Overcrowded – Any school where the FTE enrolment exceeds,
or is projected to exceed 110% utilization. This utilization analysis
will consider a minimum of two (2) years prior to the current year,
the current year and a minimum of the two (2) years of projected
utilization following the current year.
3.3.3
Program Viability – Any school which is deemed not able to offer
a viable program in terms of enrolment, class sizes and/or grade
configurations.
3.3.4
Physical Condition – Any school where teaching/learning spaces
are not suitable to provide the programs needed to serve the
school community and where retrofitting may be cost prohibitive,
or where the school’s Facility Condition Index may impact on the
provision of a safe and healthy learning environment.
3.3.5
Operating/Maintenance Costs – Any school which is deemed to
have higher than average operating and maintenance costs for
the system which affect efficiency and the Board’s ability to
operate all of its schools within the grants provided by the Ministry
of Education to the Board for school operation.
3.3.6
Ministry of Education and/or Board Policy – When there have
been significant changes to Board and/or Ministry of Education
policy related to student accommodation, program delivery, etc.
3.3.7
Other – Where the Board deems that an Accommodation Review
is appropriate or necessary.
The Accommodation Review Procedures Manual applies to schools
offering elementary or secondary regular day-school programs.
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3.5
4.
There are circumstances where a full Accommodation Review is not
required in accordance with the Ministry of Education Pupil
Accommodation Review Guideline. Instead, the Board can choose to
undertake an abridged process and will advise local communities about
proposed accommodation options for students in advance of any decision
by the Board. The following circumstances may cause the use of an
abridged process.
3.5.1
Where a replacement school is to be rebuilt by the Board on the
existing site, or rebuilt or acquired within the existing school
attendance area boundary as identified through the Board’s
existing policies.
3.5.2
When a lease is terminated.
3.5.3
When the Board is planning the relocation in any school year or
over a number of school years of a grade or grades, or a program,
where the enrolment constitutes less than 50% of the enrolment of
the school. This calculation is based on the enrolment at the time
of the relocation or the first phase of a relocation carried over a
number of school years.
3.5.4
When a Board is repairing or renovating a school, and the school
community must be temporarily relocated to ensure the safety of
students during the renovations.
3.5.5
Where a facility has been serving as a holding school for a school
community whose permanent school is overcrowded and/or is
under construction or repair.
Accommodation Review Initiation
4.1
Board staff will prepare and regularly update long term enrolment and
capital planning information.
4.2
Each year, Board Planning staff will prepare an Annual Identified (ID)
Schools Report.
4.3
At the Board’s direction or as a result of the ID Schools Report, Board
Planning staff will prepare Staff Report #1 to be presented to a Committee
of the Board or to the Board.
4.4
Upon receipt of Staff Report #1, the Board will determine whether it
wishes to conduct an Accommodation Review.
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4.5
5.
Should the Board wish to conduct an Accommodation Review, it will direct
the establishment of an Accommodation Review Committee (ARC).
Accommodation Review Committee (ARC)
5.1
5.2
5.3
The ARC may be comprised of the following voting members:
•
two parents/guardians from each affected school who have been
approved by their respective School Councils
•
one community member
•
one local Municipal staff representative with planning knowledge
The ARC may also include the following non-voting members:
•
Principals of each of the schools involved
•
local Trustee(s)
•
non-local Trustee(s)
•
Superintendent(s)
•
other members as deemed necessary by the ARC (i.e. non-staff
facilitator/administrator to work on behalf of the ARC for report
writing, etc.)
The role of the ARC is to:
5.3.1
Assume an advisory role and provide recommendations that will
inform the final decision made by the Board.
5.3.2
Discuss the Draft School Information Profile(s) prepared by
resource staff and modify the profile(s) as a result of consultation
with the public at the first public meeting.
5.3.3
Schedule and conduct a minimum of four public meetings to
consult about the Draft School Information Profile(s), the
accommodation options and the Draft Accommodation Report.
5.3.4
Establish the process for members of the public to appear as
delegations at the public meetings.
5.3.5
Meet as necessary to review and consider Staff Report #2,
discuss accommodation options and analyze the feedback from
the public meetings.
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6.
5.3.6
Present the Draft Accommodation Report to the public at the final
public meeting.
5.3.7
Prepare the Final Accommodation Report including
recommendations to the Board and submit the report to the
Director of Education not later than 30 days following the ARC’s
final public meeting.
5.3.8
Present the Final Accommodation Report to a Committee of the
Board or to the Board.
5.4
The ARC may recommend accommodation options that include new
capital investment. In these instances, resource staff will advise on the
availability of funding. The ARC, with the assistance of resource staff,
shall also propose how students would be accommodated in the absence
of available capital funding.
5.5
The ARC shall make every attempt to reach decisions by consensus.
5.6
In the event that in preparing the Final Accommodation Report, the ARC
cannot agree on recommendations regarding the future of the school(s)
being considered, then the Final Accommodation Report may be
presented without a recommendation or with scenario options. The Final
Accommodation Report will be delivered to the Director of Education and
will be posted on the Board’s website.
Resource staff
6.1
6.2
Resource staff may include:
•
Planning staff
•
Capital and Renewal staff
•
Representative from Service de Transport de Wellington-Dufferin
Student Transportation Services (STWDSTS)
•
Communications staff
•
Other staff as necessary
The role of resource staff is to:
6.2.1
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Prepare and present Staff Report #2 to a Committee of the Board
or to the Board.
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6.2.2
Complete the Draft School Information Profile(s) for each
school(s) under review.
6.2.3
Create an electronic/web-based means of receiving comments
from the public and distributing information.
6.2.4
Post all reports and documents on the Accommodation Review
web page once they are public.
6.2.5
Present Staff Report #2 and the Draft School Information
Profile(s) at the first public meeting.
6.2.6
Ensure that all relevant information is made available in advance
of ARC meetings.
6.2.7
Post minutes of all ARC meetings on the Accommodation Review
web page.
6.2.8
Ensure that all public comments received through the web page,
emails and at the public meetings are distributed to the ARC and
posted on the Accommodation Review web page.
6.2.9
Respond to questions from the ARC to assist with the analysis, at
meetings or in writing appended to the minutes of the meeting,
and also to make questions and responses available on the
Board’s website.
6.2.10 Analyze the ARC’s Final Accommodation Report.
6.2.11 Prepare and present Staff Report #3 to a Committee of the Board
or to the Board.
7.
Timelines
7.1
After the Board has announced its intent to conduct an accommodation
review of a school or schools, there must be no less than 30 calendar
days public notice prior to the first of a minimum of four public meetings.
7.2
Staff Report #2 initiates the work of the ARC. This report may be
presented to a Committee of the Board or to the Board.
7.3
Beginning with the first public meeting, the public consultation period must
be no less than 90 calendar days.
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8.
7.4
Following the ARC’s fourth or final public meeting, the Final
Accommodation Report is to be completed within 30 days.
7.5
After the ARC completes the Final Accommodation Report, it will make the
document publicly available and submit the document to the Director of
Education.
7.6
Following submission of the Final Accommodation Report, Board resource
staff will undertake an analysis of the Final Accommodation Report and
develop Staff Report #3 with recommendations.
7.7
Following submission of the Final Accommodation Report, there must be
no less than 60 calendar days notice prior to the meeting where the Board
will vote on the recommendations.
7.8
Summer vacation, Christmas break, Spring break, Family Day and all
statutory holidays, including adjacent weekends, must not be calculated
as part of the 30, 60 or 90 calendar day periods.
Public Consultation
8.1
The ARC will be responsible for undertaking the public consultation
process. The ARC will ensure that a wide range of school and community
stakeholders are invited to participate in this consultation.
8.2
The public consultation process will include a minimum of four public
meetings.
8.3
The first public meeting will be to share information contained in Staff
Report #2 and to consult on the Draft School Information Profile(s)
prepared by resource staff.
8.4
The second and third public meetings will be held to share
accommodation options, clarify issues and hear delegations.
8.5
The final public meeting will be held to present the Draft Accommodation
Report which is to be presented to the community by the ARC members or
by a non-staff ARC facilitator/administrator working on behalf of the ARC.
8.6
Additional public meetings may be held, as deemed necessary by the
ARC, prior to submission of the Final Accommodation Report to the
Director of Education.
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9.
Delegations
Following submission of the Final Accommodation Report to the Director of
Education, individuals and groups wishing to have input into the Accommodation
Review may appear before a Committee of the Board or at the Board as
delegations in accordance with Board Procedural Bylaw, Articles 22 and 23.
10.
11.
Implementation
10.1
The Board will consider Motions of Intent arising from the
recommendations from the Final Accommodation Report and Staff Report
# 3 at a meeting of a Committee of the Board or at the Board.
10.2
Motions of Intent could include, but are not limited to, school closures,
consolidations, school attendance area boundary changes and new
construction projects.
10.3
Normally, decisions to change school attendance area boundaries,
relocate programs or consolidate or close schools will be effective as of
June 30th of the next school year.
10.4
Under exceptional circumstances the Board may alter these
implementation timelines.
Ministry of Education Administrative Review of Accommodation
Review Process
A review of a Board’s Accommodation Review process may be sought if the
following conditions are met.
11.1
An individual or individuals must:
11.1.1 Submit a copy of the Board’s Accommodation Review Policy
highlighting how the accommodation review process was not
compliant with the Board’s Accommodation Review Policy.
11.1.2 Demonstrate the support of a portion of the school community
through the completion of a petition signed by a number of
supporters equal to at least 30% of the affected school’s or
schools’ student headcount (eg. if the headcount is 150, then 45
signatures would be required). Parents/guardians of students
and/or other individuals that participated in the accommodation
review process are eligible to sign the petition.
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11.1.3 The petition should clearly provide a space for individuals to print
and sign their name; address (street name and postal code); and
to indicate whether they are a parent/guardian of a student
attending the school subject to the accommodation review, or an
individual who has participated in the review process.
11.1.4 Submit the petition and justification to the Board and the Minister
of Education within 30 days of the Board’s closure resolution.
11.2
The Board would be required to:
11.2.1 Confirm to the Minister of Education that the names on the petition
are parents/guardians of students enrolled at the affected school
and/or individuals who participated in the review process.
11.2.2 Prepare a response to the individual’s or individuals’ submission
regarding the process and forward the Board’s response to the
Minister of Education within 30 days of receiving the petition.
11.3
If the conditions set out above have been met, the Ministry of Education
would be required to:
11.3.1 Undertake a review by appointing a facilitator to determine
whether the Board’s Accommodation Review Process was
undertaken in a manner consistent with the Board’s
Accommodation Review Policy 305 within 30 days of receiving the
Board’s response.
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