PLN: 15-02
File Code: R02
Planning Department Memo
Interim Move of Edward Johnson PS Students
To:
Martha Rogers, Director of Education
From:
Jennifer Passy, Manager of Planning
Janice Wright, Superintendent of Finance
Date:
January 13, 2015
Report Type:
INFORMATION
Background
A boundary review involving Edward Johnson PS was conducted in 2011-2012 which
directed approximately 100 students to the rebuilt King George PS in September 2012.
Students living south of Grange Road and east of Watson Parkway North and in the
former Tyler PS attendance area were grandparented at Edward Johnson PS until June
2014. Despite the boundary change and the end of grandparenting, enrolments at
Edward Johnson PS have increased significantly beyond the boundary review
projections.
Three more portables were added to the Edward Johnson PS property in the fall of
2014 to accommodate increased enrolment. However, there is not capacity on the
property for all of the temporary accommodation needs for the entire student body to
remain at Edward Johnson PS until a new school in east Guelph is available.
Issue
Students must be moved from Edward Johnson PS to another school for the 2015/16
school year and possibly the 2016/17 school if the new school in east Guelph is not
open for September 2016.
Recommendations
1.
That memo PLN: 15-02 “Interim Move of Edward Johnson PS Students” be
received and referred to a special Board Meeting to be held on February 10,
2015.
This document is available in alternative formats upon request.
Page 1 of 4
Interim Move of Edward Johnson PS Students
PLN: 15-02
Rationale
Edward Johnson Enrolment Pressure
As of October 31, 2014 there were 491 pupils enrolled at Edward Johnson PS. In
2015/16 there are projected to be 585 pupils at Edward Johnson PS. The On the
Ground (OTG) capacity of Edward Johnson PS is 271 students. A total of 10 portable
classrooms, a 4-room port-a-pak and 6 portables, provide additional capacity as of
September 2014. The total capacity available on the site in 2014/15 is 501 pupil places.
Cohorts of more than 100 JK students are replacing small cohorts of approximately 30
Grade 6 students graduating out of the Edward Johnson PS to King George PS. Figure
1 shows the impact of this trend and continued growth in the Edward Johnson PS
attendance area relative to the school’s OTG and current portable capacity.
This growth is placing significant pressure on the ability of the school building and
school site to accommodate this number of students until the new school is constructed
east of Watson Parkway North.
Figure 1 - Edward Johnson PS Enrolment Projection
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Interim Move of Edward Johnson PS Students
PLN: 15-02
There may be the potential to accommodate 2 or 3 more portables on the property in
September 2015. However, even if this is possible, staff are concerned that placing
more portables doesn’t address the total accommodation needs of the school for up to
two years.
New East Guelph School
The zoning of the site of the new school, located at the intersection of Watson Parkway
North and Couling Crescent, was approved by the City of Guelph in September 2014.
The site plan for the new school must be approved by the City before construction can
be started. At this time it is not known if the new school building will open prior to midway through the 2016/17 school year. Because schools cannot be easily re-organized
to create a new school body mid-way through the year, up to two years of interim
accommodation must be considered.
A boundary review for the new school is expected to commence in February 2015 and
run into late May or June 2015. This process cannot be used to determine what needs
to occur for the 2015/16 school year. There needs to be a solution found to the
immediate accommodation issues at Edward Johnson PS prior to the commencement
of the Board’s staffing process in February 2015.
Accommodation Options
Given the constraints outlined with respect to portable accommodation at Edward
Johnson PS, the forecasted enrolments at Edward Johnson PS and the timing
constraints currently known with respect to the new east Guelph school, staff has
considered several options for how students may be accommodated until the new
school is opened.
The available accommodation options are listed below and presented in Appendix A
including an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of each scenario. Staff
recognizes that in any of the options presented students will have to be moved to one or
more locations for up to two years and this will be disruptive for students, families and
school staff.
1. Accommodate all Grade 3-6 Edward Johnson PS students at a satellite campus
of Edward Johnson PS in the former Tytler PS building in 2015/16 and 2016/17 if
new school is not open.
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Interim Move of Edward Johnson PS Students
PLN: 15-02
2. Cap JK enrolment at Edward Johnson PS at 45 students starting in 2015, cap SK
and Grade 1 Edward Johnson PS students at current levels, impose school
specific caps in other Regular Track and Dual Track schools, plus move Grades
5 & 6 Edward Johnson PS students to King George PS in 2015/16 and 2016/17 if
new school is not open.
3. Without any portables added to Edward Johnson PS - Accommodate Edward
Johnson PS Grade 3 & 4 students at a satellite campus of Edward Johnson PS
in the former Tytler PS building, and move Edward Johnson PS Grade 5 & 6
students to King George PS in 2015/16 and 2016/17 if new school is not open.
4. With portables added to Edward Johnson PS – Accommodate Edward Johnson
PS Grade 5 & 6 students at King George PS in 2015/16 and Grade 4-6 Edward
Johnson PS students in 2016/17 if new school is not open.
5. Create an interim boundary for the new east Guelph school from the Edward
Johnson PS attendance area only, and temporarily accommodate students of the
new school in the former Tytler PS building in 2015/16 and 2016/17 if new school
is not open. In 2015/16 the school would be JK-3, in 2016/17 the new school
would grow to JK-4 if new school is not open. A full boundary review would be
completed including the King George PS school community in spring 2015.
Proposed Process
A public information meeting is to be held on January 8, 2015 at Edward Johnson PS in
the gymnasium starting at 7pm to share the accommodation options presented herein.
Staff will address questions from parents/guardians at that meeting.
Trustees will receive delegations on this matter on January 13, 2015, January 27, 2015,
February 3, 2015 and February 10, 2015.
Staff will summarize feedback from the public information meeting, the online feedback
form and delegations received up until February 3, 2015 and provide this material to
Trustees for their information.
Trustees will consider the options presented and the feedback received at a special
meeting of the Board on February 10, 2015 and render a decision on how Edward
Johnson PS students will be accommodated in 2015/16 and 2016/17, if necessary.
A detailed communication plan is included in Appendix B.
Page 4 of 4
APPENDIX A
Option 1
 Accommodate all Grade 3-6 Edward Johnson PS students
at a satellite campus of Edward Johnson PS.
 Students would be accommodated in the former Tytler PS
building in 2015/16 and 2016/17 if new school is not
open.
Option 2
 Cap JK enrolment at Edward Johnson PS at 45 students
starting in 2015, cap SK and Grade 1 Edward Johnson PS
students at current levels.
 Impose school specific caps in other Regular Track and
Dual Track schools.
 Move Grades 5 & 6 Edward Johnson PS students to King
George PS in 2015/16 and 2016/17 if new school is not
open.
Option 3
 Without any portables added to Edward Johnson PS.
 Accommodate Edward Johnson PS Grade 3 & 4 students
at a satellite campus of Edward Johnson PS in the former
Tytler PS building.
 Move Edward Johnson PS Grade 5 & 6 students to King
George PS in 2015/16 and 2016/17 if new school is not
open.
Option 4
 With portables added to Edward Johnson PS –
Accommodate Edward Johnson PS Grade 5 & 6 students
at King George PS in 2015/16 .
 Grade 4-6 Edward Johnson PS students at King George PS
in 2016/17 if new school is not open.
Option 5
 Create an interim boundary for the new east Guelph




school from the Edward Johnson PS attendance area only.
Temporarily accommodate students of the new school in
the former Tytler PS building in 2015/16 and 2016/17 if
new school is not open.
In 2015/16 the school would be JK-3.
In 2016/17 the new school would grow to JK-4 if new
school is not open.
A full boundary review would be completed including the
King George PS school community in spring 2015.
1. Short Term Move – Grades 3-6
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Keeps cohorts of Grade 3-6
 Difficulty staffing
 Additional VP allocation would
be required to equal 1.0
 Need additional OC & Caretaker
 Challenge moving planning time
and resource staff between sites
 Need library and phys. ed.
resources.
 Bus times to be coordinated.
 Students face multiple moves.
 Creates a primary (JK-2) school of
students together.
 Sufficient space at Tytler PS to
accommodate students for 2 years
if necessary.
 Allows time to create new
boundary and organize new
school in new building when
ready.
 Class organizations allow staffing
of same number of classrooms as
if students were in one facility.
400+ students at EJPS
2. Cap & Move – Grades 5 & 6
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Keeps cohorts of Grade 5 & 6
 Difficult to get random




students together at KGPS.
Students would stay together until
graduation.
Space available at KGPS for 2 years
– if 3-4 portables used.
Staffing could be done with
students integrated into KGPS
classes or staffed separately.
Creates manageable, predictable
enrolments for all Guelph schools
with FI.
selection registration system
running in time for JK
registration
 No consultation on Cap with FI
community
3. Grades 5 & 6 to KGPS – w/o portables
added at EJPS still requires Grades 3 & 4 to
move
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Keeps cohorts of Grade 5 & 6
 Would still need to
students together at KGPS.
 Students would stay together
until graduation.
 Space available at KGPS for 2
years – if 3-4 portables used.
 Staffing could be done with
students integrated into KGPS
classes or staffed separately.




accommodate Grades 3 & 4 at
another location.
Forces cross-divisional
organizations.
Inefficient organizations
created at both schools.
Takes advantage of Out of
Boundary process.
All the same staffing, facility
and resource issues as Option 1
4. Move of Grade 4, 5 & 6 to KGPS
& Add Portables to EJPS
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Keeps cohorts of Grade 5 & 6
 Not enough space at EJPS for
students together at KGPS.
 Students would stay together
until graduation.
 Staffing could be done with
students integrated into KGPS
classes or staffed separately.
Grades JK-4, despite portables,
to address 2-year need.
 May require 6 or 7 portables
installed at KGPS by 2016.
 Creates a primary (JK-3) school
of 500+ students at EJPS
 Similar staffing and
organizational inefficiencies if
EJPS classes staffed separately
at KGPS.
5. Create partial new school boundary
from EJPS only, housed at Tytler PS
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Creates JK-3 school in 15/16 and
 Does not follow Boundary





JK-4 in 16/17 at Tytler PS.
Starts to develop school
community before building open .
Minimizes changes for EJPS
community.
Doesn’t immediately impact KGPS
students who just moved within in
last 2 years.
Allows time to conduct boundary
review including KGPS.
Avoids continued overcrowding at
EJPS and additional pressure at
KGPS for next 2 years.
Review Policy
 Tight timing to name principal,
Office Coordinator, etc.
 Requires designation of surplus
staff from EJPS quickly.
 Need to address facility and
resource issues.
APPENDIX B
COMMUNICATION PLAN
Communication Plan
The Communication Plan has two goals; to keep the community informed through a
variety of channels, and provide a way for people to submit comments. To accomplish
these goads staff will:

Send a letter home to parents/guardians of Edward Johnson PS on Thursday,
December 18, 2014 about the Public Information Session planned on January 8,
2015. The letter will provide background information, key dates, and details on
how to learn more.

Create a web page for the Edward Johnson PS interim student move in the
Planning Department section of the Board’s website.

Create an online form that gives community members the opportunity to sign up
and receive email alerts when new content is added. 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 Public Information Session through a news brief on the home page
of the Board’s website and on the home pages of Edward Johnson PS; through
the online event calendars of both sites; and a graphic button on the Edward
Johnson site.

Inform parents/guardians about the opportunities for delegations to appear
before trustees on January 13, 2015, January 27, 2015, February 3, 2015 and
February 10, 2015.

Provide a reminder of the January 8, 2015 Public Information Meeting on
January 5, 2015 on the school web page; via e-mail distribution and/or school
call-out system; and in the school’s January 2015 newsletter.

Write a media release for local newspapers and TV. The release will distributed
following the Business Operations Committee on January 13, 2015.

Send a letter home to parents/guardians of Edward Johnson PS following the
February 10, 2015 meeting detailing the Board’s decision.

Write a media release for local newspapers and TV to be distributed following
the Board’s decision either on February 10th.