The Calgary Board of Education

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• The Calgary Board of Education
• Welcomes You

2
Public Meeting Consideration of Closure of the
French Immersion Program at Kingsland School

• Monday, March 26 2007
• 700 1000 p.m.

3
Review of Written Notice

• You will have the opportunity to address any
  questions arising from the Written Notice after
  the presentation
• All information presented here is contained in
  the Written Notice in greater detail copies are
  available at the back

4
Background
5
French Immersion Program at Kingsland School

• Declining enrolment in the French Immersion
  Program

6
French Immersion Enrolment in Areas IV and V

• Currently, six elementary schools in Areas IV
  and V offer a French Immersion program
• There is room not only to accommodate all
  current Area IV and V elementary French Immersion
  students from these six schools in five schools
  but also room to allow future growth

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French Immersion in Areas IV and V

• Goals Identified
• Consolidate programs to move towards increased
  utilization
• Accommodate students closer to home, where
  possible
• Reduce transportation ride times and costs by
  routing north/south instead of east/west
• Keep cohort groups of students together, if
  possible, to facilitate transitions to junior and
  senior high school
• Provide long term program continuity from
  kindergarten to grade 12
• Minimize disruptions for the majority of students

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French Immersion Program at Kingsland School

• Rationale
• There is a need for only one site in the north
  part of Area V west of Macleod Trail
• At the current level of enrolment, Kingsland
  school requires incremental dollars to provide
  the program of studies
• The school is underutilized even had the Chinook
  Park Elementary French Immersion program been
  recommended for consideration of closure and
  those Area V students been designated to
  Kingsland, the school would still be
  underutilized
• This recommendation provides the opportunity to
  consolidate programs and align a kindergarten to
  grade 12 continuum.

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Section A

• Implications for
• Affected Attendance Areas

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Section B

• Long-Range Capital Plan

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Implications Relative to CBEs Long Range Capital
Plan

• CBEs goal is to increase utilization
• Capital planning recognizes the importance of
  working with students, parents and communities

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Section C

• Busing

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Implications with Respect to Busing

• The current charter bus routes that serve
  Kingsland School would be re-directed to Chinook
  Park Elementary and Sam Livingston Elementary
  Schools
• No additional charter bus routes will be
  required to transport students

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Section D

• Educational Programming and
• Staffing Impact

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Educational Impacts of Non-Closure of Kingsland
French Immersion Program

• Program opportunities for students are limited
  when student enrolment significantly declines
• Range of subject expertise may be limited
• Fewer opportunities for a wide range of extra-
  and co-curricular activities

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Educational Impacts of Closure of the French
Immersion Program at Kingsland School

• In the event of closure of the French Immersion
  program at Kingsland School, students would
  continue to have access to quality education and
  French Immersion programming.
• All three receiving schools, Chinook Park
  Elementary School, Sam Livingston Elementary
  School and William Reid School, have well
  established French Immersion programs.

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Implications of Closure for Teaching Staff

• Resource allocation
• Reflect student enrolment and profile
• Deployed at principals discretion
• Surplus to need teaching staff

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Implications of Closure for Support Staff

• Support staff and the CBE Staff Association
  Collective Agreement
• Facilities Operations staff and CUPE Collective
  Agreement

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Section E

• Financial and Capital Implications

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Financial Implications of Closure

• As presented in the attached Appendices 1 and 2,
  the estimated financial impact of closing the
  French Immersion program at Kingsland School is a
  net savings of 405,600. These savings are a
  result of an anticipated decrease in certificated
  staff, support staff, and Flexible Program
  Resources
• It is anticipated that costs associated with
  transportation, utilities, caretaking, and
  operating maintenance will decrease.

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Section F

• Future Facility Plans

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Future of Kingsland School

• If the French Immersion program at Kingsland
  School is closed, it is anticipated the facility
  may continue to be used to address accommodation
  challenges in the Calgary Board of Education.

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Summary

• Consideration of Closure of the French Immersion
  Program at Kingsland School

26

• Response to Previously
• Submitted Questions

27
Question

• Where will grade 5 students residing in Sundance
  and Midnapore be designated should the
  consideration of closure of Kingsland School be
  approved?

28
Answer

• Students will have a choice. They can
• attend Chinook Park, to remain with their current
  cohort group, or
• attend Sam Livingston, to begin to build
  relationships with students with whom they will
  attend junior high at Fairview.

29
Question

• Why did parents and other community members not
  have opportunities to provide feedback on the
  revised plan that was presented to the Focus
  Group on
• February 7, 2007?

30
Answer

• There were several opportunities to provide
  feedback on the revised plan
• Feedback was obtained from the Focus Group on
  February 7, 2007.
• A letter, outlining the revised plan and inviting
  feedback, was sent to each school community on
  February 14, 2007. The letter states
• We are asking parents to assist us with these
  decisions by providing us with feedback (send
  your submission to 1) your school 2) your Area
  office or 3) yourvoice_at_cbe.ab.ca).

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Answer contd

• We received several pieces of feedback, including
  a submission from Kingsland School Council.
• The feedback received has influenced the
  implementation plan, although not the
  recommendation to consider the closure of the
  French Immersion program at Kingsland School.

32
Question

• The CBE has a history of disrupting French
  Immersion students in the south.
• How can we be sure there is a plan and Kingsland
  students will not be disrupted in the future?

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Answer

• This is a long term plan for students residing in
  the proposed Chinook Park and William Reid
  attendance areas.
• Kingsland, Chinook Park and William Reid schools
  all accommodate students from inner city and
  established communities.
• Current and projected enrolment numbers for these
  three schools are sufficient to sustain two
  strong French Immersion programs, one at William
  Reid and one at Chinook Park.

34
Question

• How does this plan address long term planning for
  French Immersion in Areas IV and V?

35
Answer

• This plan allows us to continue working to meet
  the needs of the French Immersion program by
  addressing
• Potential growth in French Immersion
• A kindergarten to grade 12 learning continuum.

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Answer contd

• Potential growth in French Immersion
• The consolidation of these three programs allows
  for growth in these inner city and established
  communities.
• There is sufficient space at current sites for
  growth from communities east of Macleod Trail.
• In the event that additional space is required
  for growth south of Fish Creek Park, we will work
  with those communities to address that
  accommodation need.

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Answer contd

• A kindergarten to grade 12 learning continuum.
• This plan provides for a kindergarten to grade 12
  learning continuum as follows
• Chinook Park ? Harold Panabaker ? Dr. E P
  Scarlett
• Sam Livingston ? Fairview ? Dr. E P Scarlett
• Sundance ?Fairview ? Dr. E P Scarlett
• ? Harold Panabaker ? Dr. E P Scarlett
• William Reid ? Elboya ? Western
• Westgate ? Bishop Pinkham ? Western

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Question

• Why is the recommendation being rushed into,
  instead of taking another year to think it
  through, and implement it in the 2008 2009
  school year?

40
Answer

• This recommendation is not rushed
• the accommodation of French Immersion students in
  the south has been under review for the last ten
  years
• extensive community engagement involving multiple
  stakeholders has occurred.
• Regardless of when changes are recommended to
  occur
• students will be impacted.
• not all competing interests can be met.
• Implementation of the administrative
  accommodation plan is recommended to occur over
  several years.

41
Question

• This proposal seems to disrupt the most students.
  Why are you recommending closing Kingsland
  instead of Chinook Park?

42
Answer

• Regardless of how we address the accommodation of
  students in French Immersion Programs in Areas IV
  and V, some students will be disrupted.
• Moving the French Immersion program from Chinook
  Park to Kingsland School would result in two
  under utilized facilities.
• A larger student population allows for more
  flexibility in the deployment of staff and
  resources.

43
Question

• Page 7 of the notice states, Parents desire
  schools to be closer to home, especially for
  younger students.
• Given this, would it not make more sense to find
  a suitable location more central in the zone to
  reduce travel time for students and the number of
  buses needed?

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Answer

• The initial administrative plan recommended the
  opening of a new program at Braeside Elementary
  which is centrally located.
• Feedback gathered during the community engagement
  process indicated that stakeholders preferred
  maintaining a well established French Immersion
  program in the north part of Area V.

45
Question

• How does the closing of a French Immersion
  program and the resulting overcrowding in
  another school help attract new students to
  French Immersion programs?

46
Answer

• The provincial capacity at Chinook Park is 630
  student spaces.
• Chinook Park has 29 instructional spaces
  excluding the library and gymnasium.
• The administrative recommendation to consolidate
  the French Immersion programs at Chinook Park
  should the consideration of closure be approved
  will not result in overcrowding at Chinook Park.
• It is our desire, when the opportunity presents
  itself, to expand alternative programs, such as
  French Immersion, in closer proximity to new and
  developing communities. Historically, we have
  found that providing the opportunity to initiate
  an alternative program closer to students
  residences increases the number of children who
  register for the program.

47
Question

• I understand that the proposed consolidation of
  the French Immersion programs at Chinook Park
  will mean that the Communication and Behaviour
  classes will have to be relocated.

48
Answer

• Every year School Support Services reviews the
  accommodation of special education programs.
  This year it was determined that we require four
  sites, not the current two, to accommodate
  students in the Communication and Behaviour (C
  B) classes for the 2007 2008 school year.
• Two sites in the north and two sites in the south
  will allow us to accommodate the majority of
  students closer to home.
• In the north, two classes will remain at
  Brentwood Elementary, and a new site for two
  classes will be established at Pineridge School.
• In the south, two classes will remain at Chinook
  Park, and two classes will be established at
  Douglasdale School.
• These changes will occur regardless of the result
  of the consideration of closure of the French
  Immersion program at Kingsland School.

49
Question

• I am concerned that if the consideration of
  closure is approved, there will be large class
  sizes (45) with two teachers. What would the
  class sizes be at Chinook Park and Sam Livingston
  if the proposed consideration of closure goes
  through?

50
Answer

• Increased school enrolment does not entail
  increased class size
• There would be resources at Chinook Park
  Elementary and Sam Livingston Elementary to
  accommodate the increased enrolment in French
  Immersion
• Deployment of both resources and staff is at the
  discretion of the principal. Based on the number
  and individual needs of students enroled at a
  school, the principal determines how to allocate
  physical and human resources effectively to best
  serve the learning needs of students

51
Question

• How will Sundance School accommodate the
  remainder of the students south of Fish Creek
  Park who are currently served by Kingsland
  School?

52
Answer

• Should the consideration of closure at Kingsland
  School be approved the 11 students from the
  Sundance catchment area currently in grade 5 at
  Kingsland may choose to attend Chinook Park or
  Sam Livingston. Sundance French Immersion
  program will not expand to grade 6 until
  September 2008.
• Regardless of the outcome of the consideration of
  closure, no students from the Sundance catchment
  area would be designated to Kingsland for
  September 2008.

53
Question

• What is the guarantee that Sam Livingston will
  remain the designated school for students from
  Riverbend given that Sam Livingston is close to
  capacity and considering the development of
  Quarry Park south on 18th St., the new
  development east of Ogden and the plans for
  future development east of 52nd on Glenmore? Will
  our Riverbend children have to change schools
  again within the next five years?

54
Answer

• Riverbend students will continue to be designated
  to Sam Livingston for the foreseeable future.

55
Question

• Why Kingsland again? You already closed our
  regular program and redesignated some French
  Immersion students to Sundance.

56
Answer

• Kingsland Schools regular program closed in
  2002 from 1983 to 2002 student enrolment in the
  regular program was fewer than 100 students.
• The French Immersion program was established at
  Sundance Elementary in 2003 to accommodate
  students closer to home, providing for more
  equitable access for students living south of
  Fish Creek Park.

57
Question

• Why have other alternative programs not also been
  considered for Kingsland School?

58
Answer

• Currently, Area V offers a wide variety of
  alternative programs.
• Kingsland is located in the north part of Area V,
  a considerable distance from where the majority
  of students are living. There is space in
  schools closer to new and developing communities
  that can accommodate any additional alternative
  program expansions.

59
Question

• Why did Community Engagement not consider
  allowing families with children in the French
  Immersion programs at both Sundance and Kingsland
  Schools to come together at Kingsland to lessen
  the overcrowding at Sundance School?

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Answer

• Parents were given the opportunity to have
  younger siblings attend Kingsland as out of
  attendance area students.
• For the 2007-2008 school year there would only be
  11 division II students from the Sundance
  attendance area at Kingsland School.

61
Question

• Have you taken into consideration the number of
  new families with young children moving into the
  Kingsland community?

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Answer

• Information from the Census completed in April
  2006
• 0 4 years 284
• 5 14 years 297
• 15 19 years 231
• Trends indicate about 60 of these students would
  be public school supporters
• Of this 60, approximately 25 choose alternative
  programs
• This results in fewer than 15 students per grade.

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Answer contd

• Based on September 30, 2006 enrolment data there
  were 129 kindergarten to grade 6 students living
  in the Kingsland community attending CBE
  schools/programs
• 102 regular program
• 23 French Immersion program
• 2 Traditional Learning Centre
• 1 Science program
• 1 GATE

64
Question

• Have the new bus routes been created and do we
  know that they are in fact shorter?

65
Answer

• Bus routes are developed each year and are
  determined based upon the residence of students
  wishing to access subsidized transportation
  services.
• Executive Limitation 15 requires that we keep to
  a minimum the number of bus rides that exceed 60
  minutes.
• Our carriers and routing system look for the
  safest and most efficient routes.
• For example, the carrier suggests that the
  proposed route for students from Riverbend/Ogden
  travelling to Sam Livingston might be via
  Deerfoot to Anderson or Glenmore to Heritage
  Drive or Fairmont Drive

66
Question

• How will Chinook Park prepare for the increase in
  bus traffic due to the influx of new students
  from Kingsland School, 90 of whom are bused?

67
Answer

• If necessary, the bus zone at Chinook Park would
  be expanded to accommodate any extra buses. 
• It is anticipated that the redesignation would
  result in 1 or 2 extra buses at most

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WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS FURTHER QUESTIONS It is not
possible to direct personal responses to each
question. All questions submitted will be
reviewed for relevancy and repetitiveness and
those selected for response will be answered on
the CBE website at http//www.cbe.ab.ca/.
Please submit all Written Submissions and
Questions to Office of the Board of Trustees,
Re The French Immersion Program at Kingsland
School, Education Centre, 515 Macleod Trail SE,
Calgary, Alberta, T2G 2L9 Or email at
BoardofTrustees_at_cbe.ab.ca Written Submissions
must be received by 900 a.m. on Friday, April
27, 2007. Follow-up Questions must be received on
or before Monday, April 30, 2007.
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• Thank You for Attending