Grade Configuration and School Closure Scenarios

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Grade Configuration and School Closure Scenarios

• Feb. 20th, 2007

Jordan Tinney
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How did we get here

• Declining Enrolment Task Force March, 2003
  recommendations
• Closing Black Creek School in Sept. 2003 or Sept.
  2004
• Closing Union Bay School in Sept. 2003 or Sept.
  2004
• Closing Tsolum Elementary in Sept. 2006 and
• Reexamining the current grade structure and
  school boundaries in the district over the next
  five years in the best interests of students
  rather than to fill buildings.
• Jan. 31, 2006 recommendation from the
  superintendent to configure the district as 6-8
  middle school model.
• Board decided to wait for new superintendent to
  pursue options and have the board come to a final
  decision.

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Processes

• All notes taken and added to district web site
• Any emails welcomed as further information
  (debbie.page_at_sd71.bc.ca)
• Public Forums Dec. 12, Jan 23
• Hornby Island Jan. 15
• Student working group Jan 23
• Aboriginal Education Council Feb. 1
• Teacher working group Feb. 5
• District Leadership Team Feb. 7
• Management Team Dec. 7, Jan 11, Feb. 8
• Town of Comox Jan. 31
• Committee of the whole discussion Feb 13, March
  13
• District Configuration Working Group Feb. 8
• Public Forum Sharing of Scenarios Feb. 20
• District Configuration Working Group - Feb 27.
• Superintendents Report expected release to Board
  March 6.

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Timeline for configuration decisions

• November 2006 January 2007
• Paper on grade configuration soliciting
  feedback and advertising forums through local
  media
• Two public forums
• One small working group to collate discussions
• Participation and feedback requested online as
  well
• February 8th and 27th , 2007
• Working group collates results/comments and
  suggests options for district grade
  configuration.
• Superintendent writes report complete with
  recommendations.
• March 27th , 2007
• Committee of the Whole public discussion on
  recommendations.
• Board meeting Board decision on grade
  configuration.

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Timeline for configuration decisions

• April 24th, 2007
• Initiation of Policy 3050 complete with
  identification of schools proposed for closure.
• Public information on the timelines of potential
  school closures.
• April-June, 2007
• Initiation of school closure and consolidation
  processes.
• Public consultation regarding school closures as
  per policy 3050.
• September November, 2007
• Public consultation regarding school closures as
  per policy 3050.
• November 27, 2007
• Board decision regarding school closures for
  June, 2008 at the earliest.

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Why are we doing this?
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Why are we doing this again?

• If we dont address the enrolment decline
• 2008 - 1974 empty seats 5.7M
• 2009 2187 empty seats 6.4M
• 2010 2340 empty seats 6.8M
• 2015 3000 empty seats 8.8M
• 2020 2949 empty seats 8.6M
• this is about ½ of the money we would receive
  from having 1974 students enrolled as about ½
  would be needed for staffing to accommodate the
  students. The 5.7M is what would be available to
  support programs beyond staffing if our schools
  were at capacity.

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Andthis is not fun

• If we could sustain what we do and retain the
  quality of our educational programs for children,
  then thats exactly what we would be doing.
• We are compelled to address the issues presented
  to us by declining enrolment in order to sustain
  the quality of what we have.

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Cant we just raise money?

• Properties currently held (roughly 3-4M)

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Disposal of assets

• Example of use Sold the property behind the
  Board Office 1.4 million
• We got to keep it all which is not always the
  rule.
• It went to
• Computers and computer labs elementary schools
  (500,000)
• Technology Education (180,000)
• Fine Arts (100,000) and
• We are trying to extend these budget items to
  complete all our upgrades. The balance is in
  local capital reserve and also can be used to
  cover other cost items like BCeSIS.

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Local Capital Expenditures

• Maintenance Vehicles
• School Computers
• Technology Education Equipment (e.g lathes)
• Musical Instruments
• Photocopiers
• Software systems (District e.g. AS400, BCeSIS)
• Special Education technologies
• Special education assistive devices (e.g. lifts)
• Modifications to schools

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Expansion

• The Ministry of Education will not fund any
  expansion or new construction unless our district
  capacity is at 95.
• If you are at 95, the Ministry fully funds
  expansions or new construction if projections
  support the ongoing growth.

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The basic issues

• Too many seats, too few kids
• Programs vs. facilities

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Current status

• Media alerts, public announcements
• Several public and working group meetings
• Collation of feedback from all meetings
• Formation of Grade Configuration Working Group
• 2 weeks to go

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Grade Configuration Working Group
CUPE
Aboriginal Representatives
Parents
Grade Configuration Working Group
Community Members
District Staff
Administrators
Community Councilors
Teachers
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Grade Configuration Working Group

• The task
• To review all materials to date from the meetings
  and to generate suggestions for the
  recommendations that will be contained in the
  Superintendents report to the Board
• NOT to make one specific recommendation
• To honour the process (e.g. tonights meeting was
  the GCWGs request and the request of one other
  group)
• To pave the way for the report to have integrity
  and for the Board to have strong options to
  consider
• Next meeting to review the feedback from
  tonight and to provide the framework for the
  Superintendents report.

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Summary Review of Emails and Correspondence

• What is the preferred grade configuration (group
  consensus)?
• Small sample Preference not clearfairly
  balanced view of
• One transition (K-7 or 8) and (8 or 9-12) and
• Two transitions (K-5 or 6) and (6-8 or 7-9) and
  (9-12 or 10-12)
• Either supported middle school or notrange of
  middle school support not addressed

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Summary Review of Administrators Working Group

• What is the preferred grade configuration (group
  consensus)?
• 3 groups (K-8 and 9-12)
• 2 groups (K-7 and 8-12)
• 2 groups (K-5, 6-8 and 9-12)
• Middle school concept not supported by the
  majority of admin.

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Summary Review of Teachers Working Group

• What is the preferred grade configuration (group
  consensus)?
• Majority preferred K-8 and 9-12 configuration.

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Summary Review of Public Meetings

• What is the preferred grade configuration (group
  consensus)
• Inconclusive
• K-8 and 9-12 school within a school
• K-8
• Middle School
• K-6, 7-9, 10-12
• Support for middle school

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From preferred configuration to

• The most important issues for each group

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Summary Review of Emails and Correspondence

• What is the most important educational issue for
  the Board to consider?
• Need to ensure supporting infrastructure re
  available electives
• Fewer transitionsremaining with similar groups
  for longer periods
• Maintaining sense of community/catchment areas
• Student readiness of move into a middle school
  philosophy
• Potential for leadership opportunities for 7-8s
• Transportationconcern for increase in busing
• Completely full schools leaves very little room
  for services that come into the school, e.g.,
  itinerant/after school care
• Sustaining electives for middle school students,
  as well as extra-curricular activities
• Need for consistency
• Continued community involvement

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Summary Review of Administrators Working Group

• What are the most important issues for the Board
  to consider
• Minimize number of transitions
• Equity (appropriate programs, facilities,
  staffing)
• Consistency in configuration across district
• Sustainabilitymaintain over long term
• Transportation
• Neighbourhood school conceptimpact on community
• Programs over facilities
• Social impact on students

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Summary Review of Teachers Working Group

• What are the most important issues for the Board
  to consider?
• Relationship-building in the school community
• Minimizing the number of transitions
• Optimize school sizerelevant to meeting the
  learning and physical needs of all within
• Students firstmeet their needs
• Ensure we provide alternate programs for at
  risk learners
• Minimize travel times if possible
• Pay attention to developmental needs
• Provide enough specialists for quality
  educational opportunities for students, e.g., PE,
  music, counselors, etc.

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Summary Review of Public Meetings

• What are the most important issues for the Board
  to consider?
• Maintain a breadth of services and programs for
  all students
• Maintain electives for grades 7 and 8
• Quality of servicesvariety of electives and
  support
• Quality of instruction
• Protecting special needs programs
• Maintain broad course offerings (access to all
  programs)
• Size of schools/class size
• Busing/transportation
• Student transition issuesemotional supports
• Neighbourhood schoolssense of communitywe
  need to be consistent (rural can be different)
• Social issuesmixing of ages
• Meeting all the needs of a child
• Change gt morale gt big picture gt support for one
  another
• Dollars to do what we need to do and sustain it
• Extra-curricular (consider access)

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The Plan The Vision for the District

• Consolidate grades
• Propose school closures
• Consolidate facilities
• Dispose of assets including properties deemed
  surplus to educational need
• Adjust resource levels to strengthen school
  programs
• Draft firm 3-5 year district plan with projection
  for 10 years.

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Think locally act globally

• While we all want to retain our neighbourhood
  schools it is up to each of us to consider the
  perspective of the entire district.
• We have about 8000 children that each day rely on
  our collective work.

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What is the Superintendents Role?

• Process process process
• Facilitator, active listener
• Presenter, gatherer of information and
• Advisor to the board.

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What is the Boards Role

• To make a decision that will, either way, set the
  foundation for the district for the next decade
  and beyond.

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What is your role?

• Participate, question, consider, seek additional
  information, provide input and
• Get people involved.

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Its all a done deal

• March decision on grade configuration
• April potential school closures
• Six months of consultation in school working
  committees
• November decision on school closure(s)

Anything is possible
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Before the scenarios

• No recommendations for Hornby and Denman
  closures.
• Multiple options in non-middle school models.
• Far more options possible but these are the
  options weve heard from in our work with the
  public.

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The Scenarios

• Status Quo
• K-5, 6-8, 9-12
• K-6, 7-9, 10-12
• K-7, 8-10, 11-12
• K-7, 8-12
• K-8, 9-12

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Questions

• What advice would you give the Board with respect
  to their inventory of properties? (note this is
  one-time funding)
• What configuration do you feel would best serve
  the students of the valley and
• Do you feel the configuration is financially
  sustainable?
• What issues do you feel are most important for
  the Board to consider in reaching their decision?

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Next Steps

• Gather your input and more through email
• Meet with Grade Configuration Working Group
• Write report for the Board
• Committee of the Whole March 13th
• Board Meeting March 27th
• Committee of Whole April 10th
• Board Meeting April 24th