School Board Approves Accommodation Recommendations

Published on: 2011/04/01 - in Releases

Trustees of the Limestone District School Board (LDSB) gave their final approval to recommendations that retain the two dual track French Immersion sites in Kingston West and Loyalist Township, that is J.R. Henderson P.S. and Amherstview P.S., and change the boundaries in order to better balance enrolments at both schools, at a Special Meeting of the Board, March 30th. These recommendations will be implemented for September 2011.

Highlights of the Kingston West and Loyalist Township Accommodation recommendations:

* the Ontario Early Years Centre remains at Bayridge P.S. and Bayridge bused English students remain at Bayridge P.S.
* the grade 7 and 8 students from Amherstview P.S. and the specialist Technology Room remain at Amherstview P.S.
* the multi-classroom port-a-pac remains at J.R. Henderson P.S. for use as classroom, resource and meeting space
* a change to school boundaries to include the “JR Henderson West” area within the Welborne Ave. P.S. catchment area
* the movement of District Special Education Programs if needed will be carefully monitored
* the English program students entering Grade 8 in September 2011, and French Immersion students entering Grade 6 in September 2011 will be allowed to remain at J.R. Henderson P.S. for their final year

Funding for the construction of new Full-Day Early Learning Kindergarten classrooms if required in future years at J.R. Henderson and Amherstview Public Schools would come from specific capital grants related to the government’s Full-Day Early Learning Kindergarten program.

Principals, staff and parent councils will now begin the important process of planning for the smooth transition of students, staff, and resources between schools. Trustees and staff are committed to ensuring that the movement of students and staff is achieved in way that is both positive and supportive. Students and their families can look forward to hearing more about upcoming opportunities and activities to help students, parents and staff transition to their new school environment.

Trustees approved a Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) in the fall of 2008 involving 11 elementary schools: Amherstview P.S., Bayridge P.S., Cataraqui Woods E.S., Collins Bay P.S., Fairfield E.S., James R. Henderson P.S., Lancaster Drive P.S., R. Gordon Sinclair, Truedell P.S., Welborne Avenue P.S., and W.J. Holsgrove P.S. Parents, staff and community members have been meeting to examine local challenges, program demands, declining enrolment, and aging facilities at the eleven schools with the specific mandate to study, report and make recommendations that addressed the following criteria:

The student population included in this review is to be relocated to

– reduce the overcrowding at J.R. Henderson P.S.;
– plan for space for the full-time Early Learning programs;
– optimize the excess capacity at the schools within the review;and
– ensure robust French Immersion programs.

The PARC Report for Kingston West and Loyalist Township was completed June 1, 2010. The PARC Report was then received by the School Enrolment/School Capacity Committee on June 14, 2010. The Senior Staff were also tasked to provide accommodation and program solutions, and the Senior Staff Report was presented to the SE/SCC meeting on October 28, 2010, and the Senior Staff Follow-Up Report was presented and approved at a SE/SCC meeting on March 1, 2011.

All information and reports are available on the LDSB website at http://www.limestone.on.ca/board/departments/planning/documents/SSFR%20KW&L%20Full.pdf.

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Release source: Limestone District School Board