By Pepper Parr
March 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
You would think that after three months of being tightly focused on the issue of closing two high schools in Burlington the 14 members of the PARC would be quite happy to call it a day and get back to living normal lives.
Hasn’t worked out quite that way.
During the past two meetings this PAR committee has found its footing and has become a group with two distinct parts; one that wants to go a little further and be more a part of the process that is going to make the decision rather than be just a group that was reacting and responding to questions put to it by the Chair Scott Podrebarac.
There are others that don’t want to do much more – they feel their school is safe and that the job is done.
Ian Farewell, on the left, a Central parent and Steve Cussons and Aldershot parent were the two PARC members who never varied from wanting to keep all the schools open. Farewell was adamant that Central not be closed.
Those who wanted to do more were able to prevail and there will be a sixth and final meeting Monday evening.
Steve Cussons, an Aldershot parent, wanted the PARC to be able to step beyond the 13 point framework they were given to work within and talk about some innovative ideas that could perhaps keep all the schools open. Cussons wasn’t able to define what he meant by “innovative” but it was clear he didn’t want to give up.
They were given a template to use as they made decisions on the various options that were put in front of them.
That template asked them to consider, but not be limited to the following:
1. Range of mandatory programs;
2. Range of optional programs;
3. Viability of Program – number of students required to offer and maintain program in an educationally sound and fiscally responsible way;
4. Physical and environmental state of existing schools;
5. Proximity to other schools (non-bus distances, natural boundaries, walking routes);
6. Accommodation of students in permanent school facilities and minimal use of portable classrooms;
7. Balance of overall enrollment in each school in the area to maximize student access to programs, resources, and extra-curricular opportunities and avoid over and underutilization of buildings;
8. Expansion and placement of new ministry or board programs;
9. Stable, long-term boundaries to avoid frequent boundary changes;
10. Cost effectiveness of transportation;
11. Fiscal responsibilities;
12. Existing and potential community uses and facility partnerships;
13. Goals and focus of the current multi-year
Starting with more than 40 options the PARC members whittled that down to the following five:
Option 23d ‐ Robert Bateman HS, Lester B Pearson HS closes, Dr. Frank J Hayden SS program change
No change to Aldershot HS boundary
Burlington Central HS catchment expands to include Tecumseh PS catchment
IB program added to Burlington Central HS from Robert Bateman
Nelson HS boundary expands east. SC‐SPED & Essential programming redirected to Nelson HS from Robert Bateman
MM Robinson HS ENG catchment expands to include Lester B Pearson HS
Frank J Hayden SS FI program redirected to M.M. Robinson HS. No change to the English catchment.
When the process of getting information out to parents few of them showed up at the Bateman high school meeting.
Option 4b – Robert Bateman HS closes
No change to Aldershot HS
Burlington Central HS expands to include the entire Tecumseh PS
Nelson HS expands east to include Robert Bateman HS. Nelson HS receives the SC‐SPED and Essential programming from Robert Bateman
MM Robinson HS catchment expands to include Kilbride PS catchment
Lester B Pearson HS catchment expands to include Florence Meares PS catchment. IB program and Gifted Secondary Placement added to Lester B. Pearson HS from Robert Bateman HS and Nelson HS
Frank J Hayden SS English catchment area is reduced.
Option 7b – Dr. Frank J Hayden SS Boundary change
No schools closed.
Lester B Pearson HS catchment expands to include Kilbride PS catchment area, John William Boich PS catchment area south of Upper Middle Road, and Alexander’s PS catchment
Frank J Hayden HS catchment reduced.
Option 28d – Burlington Central HS and Lester B Pearson HS closes, Program change for Dr Frank J Hayden SS
Aldershot HS catchment area expands easterly to railway tracks, ESL program added to Aldershot from Burlington Central
Nelson HS catchment area expands west to the railway
Robert Bateman HS catchment area expands to include John William Boich PS catchment area and Frontenac PS catchment
MM Robinson HS catchment area expands to include Lester B Pearson HS catchment area.
FI is removed from Dr. Frank J Hayden SS and redirected to MM Robinson HS
CH Norton PS area that is currently directed to Lester B Pearson HS, to be redirected to Dr Frank J Hayden
Option 3b – Nelson HS closes: Dr Frank J Hayden SS and Burlington Central HS have a program change
Aldershot FI expands to include Burlington Central HS FI catchment
Burlington Central HS English catchment area expands to Walkers Line
Robert Bateman HS expands west to Walkers
FI program added to Robert Bateman HS
Lester B Pearson HS catchment area expands to include John William Boich PS catchment area and Kilbride PS catchment area. The Secondary Gifted placement added to Lester B Pearson HS from Nelson
Frank J Hayden SS FI program redirected to M.M. Robinson HS.
Frank J Hayden HS catchment reduced.
Earlier in the proceedings it looked as if the Board recommendation of closing two high schools – Central and Pearson was a go. The option to not close any schools had some traction during the first round of cuts but the Board staff original recommendation was at the top of the list.
The focus when the first cut was done shifted to hard lobbying by the Bateman and Nelson parents to ensure that they were not closed.
Nelson appears to be safe, but Bateman is still very much at risk.
When this process started Director of Education Stuart Miller said many times that the option that board staff put forward and the trustees agreed to might not be what the PARC committee would agree on and it might not be what the trustees decided on.
Staff had many choices – they felt that closing Central and Pearson was the best of the more than 40 options that were considered.
The sense at this point is that Pearson needs to be kept open to handle the overflow that is going to be seen in the northern part of the city. Pearson was a purpose built school – it is the smallest of the seven high schools and has more property than any other high school in the city. Hayden is already at close to 150% of it rated capacity.
Option 7 – a decision not to close any of the high schools had a bit of a battle to remain on the list. Some PARC members thought such an option voided the whole purpose of the PAR process while others felt very strongly that the public had the right to voice an opinion on whether or not they wanted any of their high schools closed.
Cussons and a number of other PARC members want to keep all the schools open – and they think there are some innovative approaches that can result in just that.
PARC chair Scott Podrebarac.
Chair Scott Podrebarac is bending over backwards to give the PARC people every opportunity possible to talk through every idea they have. He has gone so far as to revise the schedule that moves everything back by almost a month with a final decision to be made on June 17th. That decision was supposed to be made on May 19th.
The critical dates going forward are:
Friday April 21, 2017 – Director’s Final Report released online at www.hdsb.ca
Wednesday April 26, 2017 (6 pm) – Director’s Final Report will be presented to the Board of Trustees at the Committee of the Whole meeting.
Monday May 8, 2017 (6 pm) – Public Delegation Night.
Thursday May 11 (6 pm) – Public Delegation Night. These evenings will be live-streamed on the Board website. Location: J.W. Singleton Centre (2050 Guelph Line).
Wednesday May 17, 2017 (7 pm) – Board meeting. Final Report to Board of Trustees for “information”.
Wednesday June 7, 2017 (7 pm) – Board meeting. Final Report to Board of Trustees for “decision”.
Is the PARC going to be able to come up with some ideas that will make it possible to keep all the schools open? Will all the PARC members show up for this final PARC meeting?
The process the city is in created the PARC as the link that would take all the options the Board came up with and communicate them to the parents. The PARC has no authority – all it does it pass along its ideas.
The Halton District School Board trustees
The trustees are the people who will make the final decision. They don’t have to accept the recommendation the Director of Education makes. They do have to reflect the will of the people.
And, it is not just the four Burlington trustees who make that final decision; all 11 trustees have a vote. The dynamics of how that vote turns out is going to make the 2018 elections very interesting.
