PLANNING DEPARTMENT
PLN: 13-25
October 8, 2013
File Code #: R02
MEMO TO:
Martha Rogers, Director of Education
FROM:
Jennifer Passy, Manager of Planning
RE:
James McQueen PS Boundary Review – Report #1
Report Classification:
DECISION
BACKGROUND
At the September 27, 2011 Board meeting, Trustees passed a motion approving, in principle, the Full Day
Kindergarten (FDK) Capital Plan. An updated FDK Capital Plan was reviewed and approved, in principle, on
June 26, 2012.
The FDK Capital Plan identified several projects in Centre Wellington including a four classroom addition
and the construction of a new four classroom port-a-pak at J.D. Hogarth PS, plus the renovation of three
existing classrooms into two FDK rooms at James McQueen PS.
As a result of enrolment pressures at James McQueen PS and the limited ability to construct additional
pupil places on that site, a review of the French Immersion (FI) and Regular Track (RT) grade structure and
boundaries is necessary. Therefore, James McQueen PS, John Black PS and J.D. Hogarth PS must all be
reviewed at the same time due to their linked or related grade and program structures.
The James McQueen PS Boundary Review will confirm the boundary and grade configurations of the three
affected schools and any changes will take effect in September 2014 for the 2014/15 school year.
ISSUE
To present Trustees with a report in accordance with Policy 320, to initiate a boundary review process for
James McQueen PS, J.D. Hogarth PS and John Black PS.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. THAT memo PLN:13-25 entitled “James McQueen PS Boundary Review – Report #1” be received.
2. THAT the Board approves the initiation of the James McQueen Boundary Review.
3. THAT Trustees adopt the schedule shown in Appendix A of report PLN: 13-25, as the proposed
timeline for the boundary review process necessary to establish the boundaries and grade structures
for James McQueen PS, J.D. Hogarth PS and John Black PS.
James McQueen PS Boundary Review – Report #1
RATIONALE
The Centre Wellington Boundary Review was undertaken in 2008 to address the following issues:
overcapacity conditions at Elora PS
undercapacity conditions at James McQueen PS
enrolment at Elora PS and J.D. Hogarth PS were top heavy with 7/8 students
there was a desire to provide FI instruction in two schools instead of three
There was no identified need for additional capacity in Centre Wellington at that time.
Since 2008, the Ministry of Education introduced FDK to Ontario, and Boards were given five years to
implement the program in all of their schools. The 2014/15 school year represents the last year to
implement FDK.
The FDK Capital Plan identified several projects in Centre Wellington including a four classroom addition
and the construction of a new four classroom port-a-pak at J.D. Hogarth PS, plus the renovation of three
existing classrooms into two FDK rooms at James McQueen PS. John Black PS was a Year 1 school for
implementation and did not require any renovations/additions to accommodate FDK. The enrolment at
James McQueen PS and significant constraints to accommodating additions and/or portables has resulted
in the need to examine the grade and program structure of these three schools.
Current Accommodation
James McQueen PS
James McQueen PS was originally built in 1946 and received an addition in 1963. The site is approximately
2.1 acres (0.9 ha) in size. The very constrained site does not lend itself to additions or portables. The
building has an On the Ground (OTG) capacity of 371 pupil places based on the Ministry’s rating of
capacity. The school currently offers JK-6 RT instruction and JK-4 FI instruction and will begin offering FDK
in 2014/15.
The dual track nature of the school results in inefficient loading of classroom space. This inefficiency was
reinforced in September 2013. Despite the OTG utilization only being 91% a portable had to be placed on
the site. Based on past work by Planning Department staff, a Dual Track (DT) school typically results in the
building’s capacity being reduced by three pupils per classroom. Therefore, the effective capacity of
James McQueen PS is currently 321 pupil places.
The FDK renovation planned at James McQueen PS will convert three existing classrooms into two
purpose built FDK rooms. The school will have a total of 11 classrooms, 4 FDK rooms and 1 room for
developmentally delayed (DD) instruction resulting in a total OTG capacity of 366 pupil places. The
effective capacity of the school in 2014 will be 318 pupil places.
As shown in Table 1, status quo enrolment projections for James McQueen PS indicate that there will be
continued growth in both Regular Track (RT) and French Immersion (FI) enrolment. This enrolment
growth will compound existing pressures when classrooms are converted for FDK. Table 2 reflects the
impact on accommodating students at James McQueen factoring in the effective capacity of the building
as a DT school.
Page 2
James McQueen PS Boundary Review – Report #1
Table 1 - James McQueen PS Status Quo Enrolment and Utilization
Historic FTE Enrolment
School
James
McQueen
PS
Current
Capacity
(OTG)
FDK
Capacity
(OTG)
371
RT
JK-6
FI
JK-4
Total
366
Current FTE
Projected Enrolment
Oct.
2011
Oct.
2012
Sept.
2013
Oct.
2014
Oct.
2015
98.5
103.5
117
140
145
182
200.5
221.5
292
310
338.5
432
455
280.5
304
NOTE: OTG does not include portables or port-a paks
Utilization
2013
OTG
2014
FDK
2015
FDK
91%
118%
124%
Table 2 – Utilization Comparing OTG vs. Effective Capacity
Utilization
Projected Enrolment
School
FDK
Capacity
(OTG)
FDK
Effective
Capacity
Oct. 2014
Oct. 2015
140
145
292
310
432
NOTE: OTG does not include portables or port-a paks
455
James
McQueen
PS
366
318
RT
JK-6
FI
JK-4
Total
2014
FDK
2014
Effective
2015
FDK
2015
Effective
118%
136%
124%
143%
J.D. Hogarth PS
J.D. Hogarth PS was constructed in 1990 and has an OTG of 368 pupil places. The site is approximately
12.9 acres (5.3 ha) in size. The property has recently accommodated a 6 room port-a-pak and a portable.
A two storey four classroom addition and interior renovations will create additional capacity, increasing
the OTG to 478 pupil places. JD Hogarth PS will begin offering FDK in 2014/15. Applying three fewer pupils
per classroom than the Ministry rated OTG to reflect the DT nature of the school the effective capacity
becomes 415 pupil places.
The status quo enrolment for J.D. Hogarth PS in Table 3 indicates that the school is currently operating at
approximately 131% utilization. However, this utilization does not reflect the portable accommodations
existing on the site. Utilization improved with the addition of the four classroom addition in 2014,
however, FDK and continued growth in FI will continue to place pressure on J.D. Hogarth PS.
Table 3 – J.D. Hogarth PS Status Quo Enrolment and Utilization
Historic FTE
Enrolment
School
J.D.
Hogarth
PS
Current
Capacity
(OTG)
368
FDK
Capacity
(OTG)
478
RT
JK-8
FI
5-8
Total
Current
FTE
Projected Enrolment
Oct.
2011
Oct.
2012
Sept.
2013
Oct. 2014
Oct. 2015
393.5
393
380.5
420
414
82
93
103
104
116
483.5
524
530
475.5
486
NOTE: OTG does not include portables or port-a paks
Utilization
2013
OTG
2014
FDK
2015
FDK
131%
110%
111%
Page 3
James McQueen PS Boundary Review – Report #1
Table 4 – Utilization Comparing OTG vs. Effective Capacity
Utilization
Projected Enrolment
School
FDK
Capacity
(OTG)
FDK
Effective
Capacity
Oct. 2014
Oct. 2015
420
414
104
116
524
NOTE: OTG does not include portables or port-a paks
530
J.D.
Hogarth PS
478
RT
JK-8
FI
5-8
Total
415
2014
FDK
2014
Effective
2015
FDK
2015
Effective
110%
126%
111%
128%
John Black PS
John Black PS was built in 1959, with additions constructed in 1964 and 1994. The school is situated on
approximately 6.0 ac. (2.4 ha) and currently has an OTG of 314 pupil places. John Black PS currently offers
RT JK-8 instruction. FDK was started at John Black PS in 2010/11.
Enrolment projections shown in Table 5 indicate that there is some excess capacity at John Black PS.
Table 5 – John Black PS Status Quo Enrolment and Utilization
School
FDK
Capacity
(OTG)
John Black
PS
314
Total
Historic Enrolment
Current
Projected Nominal Enrolment
Utilization
Oct.
2011
Oct.
2012
Sept.
2013
Oct. 2014
Oct. 2015
2013
2014
2015
287
259
260
248
243
83%
79%
77%
NOTE: OTG does not include portables or port-a paks
Goals, Objectives and Constraints
A component of the proposed process is the establishment of Goals, Objectives and Constraints of the
review. The purpose is to establish the ground rules for the review by providing both targets and
limitations for the development of alternative boundary solutions. The Goals, Objectives and Constraints
for this review are:
Goals
1. Create viable boundaries or grade structures for James McQueen PS, J.D. Hogarth PS and John Black
PS.
Objectives
1. Develop grade structure or attendance areas for James McQueen PS, J.D. Hogarth PS and John Black
PS that establish viable and sustainable programs.
2. Alleviate the overcapacity pressure forecasted at James McQueen PS.
3. Maximize the number of students within walking distance to schools.
4. Minimize the impact on students where transitions are proposed.
Page 4
James McQueen PS Boundary Review – Report #1
Constraints
1. The James McQueen PS site is not suited to accommodating an addition or portable(s).
2. The attendance area needs to be established in time to allow communication of the boundary change
to families prior to Kindergarten registration and to allow for staffing decisions which commence in
February 2014.
Proposed Process
1. Alternative scenarios are to be developed by the Staff Boundary Review Committee and reviewed with
local principals and local trustees during October and November 2013.
2. The Committee will shortlist a scenario(s) and present to Trustees a second Boundary Review report
no later than the December 10, 2013 Business Operations Committee meeting.
This second report will describe the scenario(s) considered to address the accommodation
issue, the staff analysis of the scenario(s) and a list of the recommended implementation
option(s).
3. A Public Information Session will be held on December 12, 2013 from 7:00-9:00pm at J.D. Hogarth PS
where interested persons can get additional information from the Staff Committee and provide
feedback (i.e. comment sheets).
4. A third Boundary Review report will be brought to the January 14, 2014 Business Operations
Committee Meeting.
This third report will include a summary of the public input, the final staff recommendation
and justification and a timeline for implementation.
5. The public will have opportunities to appear as delegations before the Business Operations Committee
or the Board as outlined in Appendix A.
Communication Plan
The Communications Plan has two goals:
1. Keep the community informed through a variety of channels.
2. Provide ways for people to submit comments.
To accomplish these goals, Staff will:
Present Report #1 to the Business Operations Committee on October 8, 2013.
Send a letter home to parents and guardians of James McQueen PS, J.D. Hogarth PS, and John
Black PS students about the upcoming boundary review. The letter will provide background
information, key dates, and details on how to learn more.
Publish a brief notice about the boundary review in the newsletters and on the websites of James
McQueen PS, J.D. Hogarth PS and John Black PS.
Page 5
James McQueen PS Boundary Review – Report #1
Create a web page for the James McQueen PS Boundary Review in the Planning Department
section of the Board’s website. The page will summarize the reasons behind the review. It will
provide links to reports, resources, memos and other documents.
Create an online form that gives community members the opportunity to sign up and receive
email alerts when significant new content is added.
Create an online comment submission form. Comments will be considered by the Boundary
Review Committee during the development of boundary scenarios. Comments will also be shared
publicly on the Board’s website, without names or personally identifying information. Users
submitting comments will be informed in advance that it will not be possible to provide individual
responses.
Promote the boundary review web page on the home page of the Board’s website and on the
home pages of James McQueen PS, J.D. Hogarth PS and John Black PS.
Inform parents about the opportunities for delegations to appear before trustees.
Write a media release for local newspapers. The release will be distributed following the Business
Operations Committee on October 8, 2013.
Provide updates and reminders in school newsletters and on school websites.
Send a letter home upon the release of Report #2 that includes a map(s) of the preferred
boundary/grade structure scenario(s).
Prepare and book newspaper advertisements to promote the Public Information Session on
December 12, 2013.
The second report of the James McQueen PS Boundary Review will include a new or revised
Communications Plan.
Committee Composition
Janice Wright, Superintendent of Finance
Bonnie Talbot, Superintendent of Education
Jennifer Passy, Manager of Planning
Heather Imm, Senior Planner
Blair Capling, Manager of Capital/Renewal
Mark Weidmark, Administrative Officer - Communications
Larry Lacey, Principal – James McQueen PS
Marnie Barrow, Principal – J.D. Hogarth PS
Scott Preston, Principal – John Black PS
Wendy Dobson, General Manager, Wellington-Dufferin Student Transportation Services
Other staff resources as required
Page 6
APPENDIX A
James McQueen PS Boundary Review – Proposed Timeline
WHEN
October 4, 2013
WHO
School Communities*
October 8, 2013
Business Operations Committee
October 9, 2013
School Communities*
October 22, 2013
Board of Trustees
WHAT
Boundary Review website launch
Notice up on School websites
Presentation of Boundary Review Report #1
Background Info
Goals, Objectives, Constraints
Committee composition
Timeline/Critical Path
Communication Plan
Letter home re: Boundary Review initiation
Prepare and book advertisements
Board Meeting - Decision on Report #1
opportunity for delegations
October 8 –
Boundary Review Staff Committee
Alternative scenario development
December 6, 2013
Trustees & School Communities*
Scenario analysis
Review scenarios with local Principal(s)/Trustees
Boundary Review Report #2 Distribution
December 10, 2013
Business Operations Committee
December 10, 2013
opportunity for delegations
Presentation of Boundary Review Report #2 for Information
Alternative scenarios
Staff analysis of alternative scenarios
Recommended option(s)
Communication Plan
December 12, 2013
School Communities*
Public Information Session (7-9pm at J.D. Hogarth PS)
Provide First & Second Boundary Review Reports
Presentation of Preferred Alternative(s)
Q&A
Comment Sheets
December 12 –
December 20, 2013
Boundary Review Staff Committee
December 17, 2013
Board of Trustees
Consideration of Input from Public
Development of final staff recommendation
Board Meeting
opportunity for delegations
December 20, 2013
School communities*
Final date for public input
January 10, 2014
Trustees & School Communities
Final Boundary Review Report Distribution
January 14, 2014
Business Operations Committee
Presentation of Final Boundary Review Report
opportunity for delegations
Summary of Info from Reports #1 and #2
Summary of public input
Final Staff recommendation & justification
Timeline for implementation
Critical Path
January 28, 2014
Board of Trustees
opportunity for delegations
Communication Plan
Board Meeting - Decision related to Final Boundary Review
Report
Note: School communities include: J.D. Hogarth PS, James McQueen PS and John Black PS
There are additional delegation opportunities at all Standing Committees and Board Meeting