School District No. 40 New Westminster

1

• School District No. 40 (New Westminster)
• Hume Park Elementary School
• Report on Possible Closure and Consolidation
• Special Public Meeting
• April 30, 2009

2
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Background
• April 8th, 2009 Board of Education supports
  Superintendents recommendation to consider the
  closure of Hume Park School and its consolidation
  with Richard McBride School
• April 20th, 2009 Notice to parents/community
  regarding Public Information Meeting on Thursday,
  April 30th
• April 24th, 2009 Report addressing the possible
  closure of Hume Park School made available to the
  public. Also posted on the School District
  Website
• April 30th, 2009 Special Public Meeting
  regarding possible Hume Park Closure.

3
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Background (Continued)
• Forty-five day consultation period commenced on
  April 8th and concludes on May 23rd.
• Additional public meetings may be scheduled if
  the Board determines that further opportunities
  for public input are necessary.
• Decision regarding closure tentatively scheduled
  for Tuesday, May 26th at Q.M.S. at the Open Board
  Meeting
• No decision re closure/consolidation to be made
  prior to this time.
• Additional opportunities to provide input to the
  Board via Comment Form located on the homepage of
  the district website.

4
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Background/Context
• Hume Park is a small elementary school in New
  Westminster with a current student population of
  66 students (60 fte.)
• At the present time, the number of students per
  grade is as follows
• a) 12 half-day Kindergarten
• b) 9 grade one
• c) 13 grade two
• d) 15 grade three
• e) 12 grade four
• f) 5 grade five.
• There are currently three divisions at Hume Park
  School 1) K/1 with 20 students, 2) gr. 2/3 with
  22 students, and 3) gr. 3/4/5 with 22 students.

5
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Background/Context
• There are currently 3.7 fte. teaching and 4.4
  fte. support staff at Hume Park Elementary
  School
• Hume Park consists of two classrooms on the upper
  level, one larger classroom on the lower level,
  and a portable classroom to the west side of the
  main building
• Hume Parks enrolment projections (in fte.) over
  the next five years are as follows
• a) 2009/10 64 students
• b) 2010/11 59 students
• c) 2011/12 53 students
• d) 2012/13 51 students
• e) 2013/14 56 students.

6
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Richard McBride Elementary School
• Richard McBride has a current total enrolment of
  338 students (306 fte.) and its projections for
  the next five years are as follows
• a) 2009/10 - 317 students
• b) 2010/11 - 308 students
• c) 2011/12 - 305 students
• d) 2012/13 - 304 students
• e) 2013/14 - 302 students
• The official enrolment capacity for Richard
  McBride School is 340 fte. while the official
  enrolment capacity for Hume Park School is 90
  fte. students.

7
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Richard McBride (continued)
• Possible consolidation two existing classrooms
  required to accommodate the Hume Park student
  population.
• Would require the Learning Services department to
  be relocated elsewhere.
• Currently, there are 39 students from the Hume
  Park catchment attending Richard McBride (18 in
  Montessori 21 in regular program).
• 22 additional Montessori students in 2009/10
  would occupy a currently vacant classroom in the
  p.m.
• Students organized in family groupings in
  grades 1-5 and would not create the need for an
  extra division.
• Some of the new Montessori students may be
  current Richard McBride students
• Increases official capacity from 109 to 112 in
  2009/10

8
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• School Utilization/Future Growth
• Hume Parks population is projected to decline in
  upcoming years, and stabilize in 2015, and reach
  its peak at 71 students in 2023
• Enrolment projections for Hume Park over the next
  15 years (i.e., 2009 2023) reaches its maximum
  official capacity of 79 percent in 2023 which is
  below the MoE minimum threshold of 95 percent
• Richard McBrides population is projected to
  decrease modestly over the next 15 years with a
  top enrolment of 317 students in 2009 and a peak
  Official capacity of 93 percent in 2009
• Overall increase in Official Capacity with Hume
  Park consolidated as part of Richard McBride
  ranges from 104 percent (lowest) to 112 percent
  (highest) over a 15 year period from 2009 2023.

9
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation
10
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Future Growth
• Hume Park limited by its size and restricted
  capacity to expand, even in the event of
  confirmed future development (rated as poor)
• Size of Hume Park is 0.2 hectares vs. typical
  area for school of comparable size 1.2 hectares
  (Matrix Report) (See GE photo)
• The Brunette River Village Project greatest
  potential for future growth
• 2,000 dwelling units over 10 years number of
  school-aged children expected to be approx. 232
  (if no bridge) and 434 (with bridge)
• Expected number of K-to-grade 5 aged children
  range from 81-to-104

11
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Future Growth (continued)
• School-aged students from the BRVP could attend
  one of six elementary schools in the area,
  namely
• a) Anderson Elementary, b) Cameron Elementary,
  c) Armstrong Elementary, d) Hume Park Elementary,
  e) Richard McBride Elementary, f) St. Michaels
  School
• BRVP still at the approval stage with City of
  Coquitlam
• No development permit no construction for 4-to-5
  years
• Not presently supported by City of New
  Westminster
• Neither SD 41 or SD 43 have developed enrolment
  projections based on the BRVP.

12
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation
13
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Proximity/Routes to Richard McBride
• Currently, there are 39 students attending
  Richard McBride from Hume Park catchment area
• Richard McBride is approx. 1.0 km distance from
  Hume Park School
• Two major roadways Columbia Street and Braid
  Street
• Exact number of students who travel on foot daily
  to McBride is not known. Route is uphill from
  Columbia to Richmond Street
• Presently, there are 19 students attending Park
  Place Daycare at Hume Park who travel on foot,
  with adult supervision, to and from Richard
  McBride School daily
• At present, no data re the other 20 students
  however approx. 50 percent of the current cohort
  travel on foot on a daily basis.

14
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Community Impact
• Closure and consolidation will have a discernable
  impact on the community
• Hume Park School has been a central feature of
  the community for many years
• Long-standing association/connection with Hume
  Park School on the part of community
• Hume Park community is a relatively small
  residential neighbourhood situated directly
  adjacent to the Richard McBride residential area
• Positive potential for a successful
  transition/consolidation.

15
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Impact on Daycare Program
• Park Place Daycares current enrolment 32
  students
• 19 attend Richard McBride 13 attend Hume Park
• W.C.A.S.S. is supportive of maintaining the Park
  Place program in its current location at Hume
  Park
• The Board of Education is supportive of parents
  wishing to have their children continue to attend
  in the event of closure
• Long term arrangement cannot be discussed until
  after the closure/consolidation process has been
  concluded
• The Board supportive of operation of program
  for 2009/10 school year and possibly beyond.

16
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Educational Considerations
• Considerations focus on outcomes that would
  occur
• No value or subjective judgments re more/less
  advantageous in one type of environment vs.
  another
• Focus is on increases in access to a wider
  range of student services and support structures
• a) increased access to gym space and P.E.
  activities
• b) increased access to computer lab and related
  activities
• c) increased access to library resources
• d) increased access to L.A. programs,
  Counselling, and Special
• Education services
• e) wider range of peer-to-peer interactions due
  to increased number of
• students.
• f) wider range of staff-to-student interactions
  due to increase in staff.

17
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Optimal School Size
• Recognition that Optimal is a subjective
  assessment
• Based on a review of current research literature,
  the following school sizes have been identified
  as optimal (Nanaimo School Administrators
  Association 2007)
• a) Elementary School 300 500 students
• b) Middle School 400 500 students
• c) Secondary School 800 1200 students
• The Campbell River Elementary School Task Force
  (Feb. 2001) and the Saanich SD Study (Aug. 2003)
  identified an optimal size for elementary
  schools 250 400 students
• The USA Urban School Reform Report sets the upper
  limit for small schools at 350 students.

18
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Financial Considerations
• Closure/consolidation of Hume Park with Richard
  McBride School would have a financial impact
• Estimated savings resulting from closure and
  consolidation approximately 243,000.00
• These savings would apply on an annual basis vs.
  on a one-time basis (i.e., they are structural
  savings)
• The Utilities and Maintenance savings represent a
  66 percent adjustment, as there would be some
  ongoing maintenance/electrical costs even in the
  event of closure.

19
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Five-Year Capital Plan
• MoE requires that school districts demonstrate
  efficient use of existing facilities in order to
  be considered for new capital funding
• Traditionally, consolidation efforts have
  assisted school districts in B.C. in their
  efforts to secure support from the MoE for
  capital improvements
• It is anticipated that if closure/consolidation
  were to proceed, the MoE would be more likely to
  support future capital improvement requests for
  the school district.

20
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Baragar Demographics (Who are they?)
• Independent company specializes in demographic
  profiling and forecasting for school districts
  across North America. Established 1981 NW began
  utilizes services in 1994
• In all, BD serves 70 school districts across
  Canada and the U.S. including 34 of the 60 public
  SDs in British Columbia
• New Westminster has Demographic Dynamics
  software to forecast enrolment by school and/or
  district
• Demographic Dynamics a) Birth Registry of B.C.,
  b) Revenue Canada, c) net migration, d) Canada
  Census data, e) 1701 Student Enrolment Data, f)
  Participation rates, g) Approval for
  developments.

21
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• Matrix Planning Associates
• Conducted a Strategic Facilities Review for the
  school district in 2007
• Has conducted formal facilities reviews for the
  majority of school districts in B.C.
• The review included a comprehensive analysis and
  assessment of all the districts current school
  facilities
• Statistics regarding current size of Hume Park
  and its potential for expansion derived from this
  report.

22
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Hume Park Elementary School Report
• MoE Official Capacity
• Determined by the Ministry of Education and
  applies to all schools in British Columbia
• OC based on Kindergarten at 40 half-time
  students/class 25 students at elementary level
  and 25 at middle/secondary
• Is a fixed figure and is only subject to change
  if physical space is altered which would require
  an adjustment
• MoE has established a minimum threshold
  official capacity of 95 percent for
  elementary/middle, and 110 percent for secondary
  
• Capital project expansions are only given
  consideration by the MoE when these minimum
  thresholds are met.

23
Hume Park Elementary SchoolReport on Possible
Closure/Consolidation

• Summary
• Forty-five day consultation period commenced on
  April 8th and concludes on May 23rd.
• Additional public meetings may be scheduled if
  the Board determines that further opportunities
  for public input are necessary.
• Decision regarding closure tentatively scheduled
  for Tuesday, May 26th at Q.M.S. at the Open Board
  Meeting
• No decision re closure/consolidation to be made
  prior to this time.
• Additional opportunities to provide input to the
  Board via Comment Form located on the homepage of
  the district website.