OPEN HOUSE

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Beacon Hill East Ottawa Secondary School
Accommodation Study

• OPEN HOUSE
• APRIL 21ST, 2009
• RIDEAU HIGH SCHOOL

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Meeting Objectives

• Overview of ARC process
• Timelines
• Options for Public Input
• Next Steps
• Public Q A

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Accommodation Review Committee (ARC)

• In 2006 the Ontario Ministry of Education
  established the ARC process.
• In 2007 the OCDSB approved its ARC policy in
  keeping with provincial guidelines.
• ARCs are comprised of a group of school and
  community representatives.

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Beacon Hill - East Ottawa ARC

• May 27th 2008 - OCDSB initiated the
  accommodation review for the Beacon Hill East
  Ottawa area.
• The schools included in this study are
• Rideau High School
• Gloucester High School
• Colonel By Secondary School
• Henry Munro Middle School
• Emily Carr Middle School
• Queen Elizabeth Public School
• York Street Public School

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ARC MANDATE

• to balance enrolment among the schools under
  review by means of school closure, boundary
  amendments, balancing programming or amending
  grade structures in a manner that provides the
  greatest long term stability but is sensitive to
  student disruption.

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OCDSB Concerns

• Declining enrolment at Rideau High School
• Declining enrolment projected at Gloucester High
  School
• Program viability
• Surplus of secondary space in study area

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Committee Structure

• 2 Representatives from each school under review
• 1 Community Representative from each of the
  following Community Associations
• Overbrook
• Beacon Hill North
• Beacon Hill South
• Rothwell Heights
• Blackburn Hamlet
• Manor Park

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Timelines
FINAL DATE FOR THE PUBLIC TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK TO
THE ARC MAY 8TH 2009
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Timelines
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Valuation Framework

• Required by Ministry guidelines and OCDSB policy
• The ARC valued each school individually in 4
  areas
• Value to the student
• Value to the school board
• Value to the community
• Value to the local economy
• Not used to compare on school to another
• Completed Valuation Framework may be found on the
  OCDSB website.

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Options

• ARC Options for public input

A No closures B Close Rideau
High School Students to Gloucester C
Close Rideau High School Students to Multiple
High Schools D Close Gloucester High
School Students to Rideau High School E
Combine Colonel By Secondary School and
Gloucester High School Request for Input Grade
7-12 Concept
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Option A NO CLOSURE

• No immediate changes to the current grade
  structures, program availability and boundaries
  for ANY of the schools involved in the review
  area.

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Option ANO CLOSURE

• The ARC proposes that the OCDSB seek a long term
  solution to address enrolment by
• consulting with communities to identify and
  resolve the root causes of low enrolment
•  
• adding/exploring program pathways to the schools
  with low enrolment to increase their
  attractiveness, and viability (e.g. IB middle
  years program, sports and arts programs)
•  
• adding a non-semester option
•  
• reviewing the transfer policy
• reviewing the impact of previous and future
  boundary changes and 
• providing additional funding to schools with low
  enrolment so programming can be enhanced
•  
• considering the movement of the Ministry of
  Justice Trading Places program to a different
  location

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Option A NO CLOSURE

• Pros
• No schools close
• No student disruption
• No family/cohort groups are split
• Supports the City of Ottawa intensification
  policy
• Encourages strategic planning and community
  collaboration
• Retains the momentum of positive education
  options in Ottawa East

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Option A NO CLOSURE

• Cons
• Low enrolment not immediately addressed
• Ongoing uncertainty for students, staff, and
  communities
• Resource strain on OCDSB staff

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Option BCLOSE RIDEAU HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
REDIRECT TO GLOUCESTER HIGHSCHOOL

• Grade 9-12 English program students to Gloucester
  HS
•  
• Grade 9-12 Immersion/Extended French program
  students to Gloucester High School
•  
• Rideau High School Special Education Learning
  Disabilities Program to Gloucester High School
• Rideau High School ESL and English Language
  Development Programs to Gloucester High School

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Option BCLOSE RIDEAU HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
REDIRECT TO GLOUCESTER HIGHSCHOOL

• Pros
• Closes high school with lowest enrolment and
  utilization rate
• Increases enrolment at Gloucester High School
• All Rideau High School French immersion students
  to same school

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Option BCLOSE RIDEAU HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
REDIRECT TO GLOUCESTER HIGHSCHOOL

• Cons
• Does not address root cause for low enrolment at
  Rideau High School
• Disruption to students and communities
• Greater travel distance/time
• Loss of community use
• Large geographic area unserved by a local OCDSB
  high school facility

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Option CCLOSE RIDEAU HIGHSCHOOLSTUDENTS
REDIRECTED TO MULTIPLE SCHOOLS

• Grade 9-12 English Program students
• York Street Public School students to Lisgar
  Collegiate
• Students residing North of Montreal Road to
  Colonel By Secondary School
• Students residing South of Montreal Road to
  Gloucester High School
•  
• Grade 9-12 Immersion/Extended French Program
  Students
• Students residing South of Montreal Road to
  Gloucester High School
• Students residing North of Montreal Road to
  Colonel By Secondary School
•  
• Rideau High School Special Education Learning
  Disabilities Program to Gloucester High School
• Rideau High School ESL and English Language
  Development Programs to Gloucester High School

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Option CCLOSE RIDEAU HIGHSCHOOLSTUDENTS
REDIRECTED TO MULTIPLE SCHOOLS

• Pros
• York Street Public School students remain with
  their peers
• Strengthens opportunities for participation in
  extracurricular activities
• Increases program enrolment and viability at
  receiving schools

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Option CCLOSE RIDEAU HIGHSCHOOLSTUDENTS
REDIRECTED TO MULTIPLE SCHOOLS

• Cons
• Does not address root cause for low enrolment at
  Rideau High School
• Disruption to students and communities
• Greater travel distance/time
• Loss of community use
• Large geographic area unserved by a local OCDSB
  high school facility
• Lisgar Collegiate and Colonel By possible
  restriction in student transfer
• Queen Elizabeth Public School students split
  between 3 high schools

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Option DCLOSE GLOUCESTER HIGHSCHOOLREDIRECT
STUDENTS TO RIDEAU HIGH SCHOOL

• Grade 9-12 English Program students to Rideau
  High School.
• Grade 9-12 Immersion/Extended French Program
  Students to Rideau High School.
•  
• Gloucester High School ESL Program to Rideau High
  School.
•  
• Gloucester High School Gifted Program to Rideau
  High School.
•  
• Gloucester HS Special Education Developmental
  Disabilities Program to Rideau HS
•  
• Grade 9-12 Immersion/Extended French Program
  students from Rideau area to Rideau High School.

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Option DCLOSE GLOUCESTER HIGHSCHOOLREDIRECT
STUDENTS TO RIDEAU HIGH SCHOOL

• Pros
• Consolidation of programs serves to increase
  program enrolment and strengthen program
  viability at Rideau High School.
• Increases enrolment at Rideau High School and
  strengthens opportunities for student
  participation in extra-curricular activities.
• All students have access to standard program
  offerings (English and Immersion/Extended French)
  at one high school site.
• Closure of Gloucester High School facility would
  result in the elimination of operating costs to
  maintain the largest OCDSB building.

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Option DCLOSE GLOUCESTER HIGHSCHOOLREDIRECT
STUDENTS TO RIDEAU HIGH SCHOOL

• Cons
• Disruption to students and communities
• Greater distance and time to travel to the Rideau
  High School site.
• Loss of Community use
• Loss of public green space
• Queen Elizabeth Public School, Emily Carr and
  Henry Munro middle schools student cohorts would
  be split between multiple high schools.
• Loss of the facility with the largest capacity in
  the OCDSB.

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Option ECOMBINE GLOUCESTER HIGH SCHOOL AND
COLONEL BY SECONDARY SCHOOL

• Move Colonel By Secondary School (programs, staff
  and students) into the Gloucester HS building.
• Combine the Gloucester High School and Colonel By
  Secondary School students into one school.
•  
• Carson Grove/Pineview students redirected to
  Rideau High School.
•  
• Introduce Immersion/Extended French Program at
  Rideau High School.
•  
• Grade 9-12 Immersion/Extended French Program
  students from Rideau area to Rideau High School.

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Option ECOMBINE GLOUCESTER HIGH SCHOOL AND
COLONEL BY SECONDARY SCHOOL

• Pros
• Consolidation of programs could increase program
  enrolment and strengthen program viability.
• Increases enrolment at combined school and
  strengthens opportunities for student
  participation in extra-curricular activities.
• Students at Rideau High School have access to
  standard program offerings (English and
  Immersion/Extended French) at one high school
  site.
• A block move of Colonel By Secondary School may
  address in part, criteria to support the
  relocation of the International Baccalaureate
  (IB) Program, as stated by the IB Organization.
  (e.g. 2/3rd of the IB teachers and students and
  the principal must move to any new school site)
• Broad based technology facilities (auto shops,
  wood work shops etc.) would be available to all
  students.
• Could provide diversity in programming in the
  combined school.

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Option ECOMBINE GLOUCESTER HIGH SCHOOL AND
COLONEL BY SECONDARY SCHOOL

• Cons
• Does not address low enrolment at Rideau High
  School
• Largest group of students disrupted.
• Disruption to staffs and communities.
•  Some students will have a greater distance and
  time to travel.
• IB program could be at risk
• unknown if the required number of students and
  staff would still attend at the new site.
• unknown if the IB Organization will recertify the
  program at the new site.
• unknown if the teachers federation would support
  the move
• Loss of public green space
• Loss of community use opportunities
• Increased enrolment at combined school site may
  require portables for September 2010 and could
  limit transfers in.
• Could create a superschool which could impact
  enrolment at other OCDSB high schools unless
  transfers in are addressed.

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Request for Input

• 7-12 High School Concept
• The ARC is seeking your input on the concept of
  a grade 7 to 12 model.

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Request for Input

• Pros
• Grade 8 and 9 student retention within the OCDSB
  school would improve as students would remain in
  the same school setting for their high school
  education.
• Intermediate (78) students would have access to
  specialized spaces/resources not always available
  in traditional elementary school settings.
• Grade 9-12 high school students would have an
  opportunity to mentor the younger students.
• Transition to a secondary school environment
  might be easier for the students.
• The enrolment at high schools would be
  strengthened by the establishment of grades 7 and
  8 programs within those schools.
• Operational efficiencies and utilization of high
  school facilities would be improved.

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Request for Input

• Cons
• Students entering Grade 7 will be split from
  classmates who remain at the elementary feeder
  schools.
• The addition of grades 7 and 8 does not
  immediately improve program viability at high
  schools with low enrolment.
• Perception that co-locating grades 7 and 8
  students with grades 9-12 does not create a
  healthy learning environment for the younger
  students.
• A shift to a grade 7-12 model will necessitate
  further studies to address low enrolment and
  surplus space issues at elementary schools.
• The closure of area middle schools and elementary
  schools may be required.

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Next Steps

• THE ARC WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE INPUT WITH REGARDS
  TO THE OPTIONS PRESENTED THIS EVENING.
• REMINDERS
• THE DEADLINE FOR PUBLIC INPUT IS
• MAY 8TH 2009.
• PRESENTATIONS BY DELEGATIONS WILL BE HEARD BY THE
  ARC APRIL 28TH 2009
• SIGN UP TONIGHT

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Next Steps

• PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS MAY GIVE
  INPUT TO THE ARC PROCESS BY
• COMPLETING THE INPUT FORM (attached to your
  handouts)
• Leave it with an ARC member tonight
• At your local school office
• SEND AN EMAIL VIA THE OCDSB WEBSITE
• SPEAK TO ARC MEMBERS TONIGHT
• ATTEND FUTURE ARC MEETINGS
• ALL OF ARC INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE OCDSB
  WEBSITE
• WWW.OCDSB.CA
• (under accommodation studies Beacon Hill-East
  Ottawa Secondary School Accommodation Study)

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QUESTION AND ANSWERPUBLIC COMMENT AND FEEDBACK