4000 - Pupil Accommodation Review (Consolidation or Closure) - Waterloo Region District School Board (Waterloo Region District School Board)

4000 – Pupil Accommodation Review (Consolidation or Closure)

Legal References:: Education Act R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2, s. 8 (1), par. 26; Education Act R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2, O. Reg. 347/23
Related References:: Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline, Ministry of Education (December 2024); Community Planning and Partnerships Guideline, Ministry of Education (March
2015); Administrative Review of Accommodation Review Process, Ministry of Education; Administrative Procedure 4860 – Pupil Accommodation Review
Effective Date:: July 1,2016
Revisions:: December 2014, April 18, 2016, May 17, 2021, May 13, 2026
Reviewed:

1. Purpose

1.1 The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) is responsible for deciding the most appropriate pupil accommodation arrangements for the delivery of elementary and secondary programs.

1.2 The WRDSB ensures that decisions regarding school consolidations or closures are made by involving and informing the local community, and are based on a broad range of criteria related to:

1.2.1 student achievement;

1.2.2 student well-being;

1.2.3 effective stewardship of school board resources; and

1.2.4 impacts on the local community.

1.3 These decisions are made by the Board of Trustees in accordance with the Education Act and the Ministry of Education’s Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline.

1.4 This Policy establishes the minimum requirements the WRDSB will follow when undertaking:

1.4.1 a standard pupil accommodation review; or

1.4.2 a modified pupil accommodation review and shall be read in conjunction with Administrative Procedure 4860.

1.5 This Policy applies only to schools offering elementary and/or secondary regular day school programs.

2. Application

2.1 The WRDSB’s pupil accommodation review process shall:

2.1.1 support student achievement through equitable access to high‑quality programming;

2.1.2 promote student well-being while minimizing disruption to students and families; and

2.1.3 ensure financial responsibility, and effective use of school board resources;

2.1.4 engage in transparent, inclusive, and meaningful public engagement; and

2.1.5 align accommodation decisions with the Board Improvement and Equity Plan (BIEP) and Long-term Accommodation Plan (LTAP).

2.2 Frequency of Reviews

Schools should typically be subject to a pupil accommodation review no more than once in a five-year period, unless exceptional circumstances require otherwise, including but not limited to:

2.2.1 significant and sustained enrolment changes;

2.2.2 health, safety and/or environmental concerns related to the building(s), site(s), or location(s);

2.2.3 major capital renewal requirements that are not financially viable; and/or

2.2.4 preventing the effective use of the building(s), site(s), or location(s) to accommodate students.

Establishing a Pupil Accommodation Review

2.3 Prior to initiating a pupil accommodation review, the WRDSB shall:

2.3.1 complete a Long-term Accommodation Plan (LTAP);

2.3.2 consult with local municipalities and community partners as required under the Community Planning and Partnerships Guideline; and

2.3.3 consider alternatives to consolidation or closure, including boundary changes, program relocations, partnerships, or space reduction.

2.4 Before approving the initiation of a pupil accommodation review, WRDSB staff shall present an Initial Staff Report to the Board of Trustees.

2.4.1 The Initial Staff Report shall be prepared using the Ministry‑approved template and shall be made publicly available following the Board’s decision to proceed with a pupil accommodation review.

2.5 For each school subject to a pupil accommodation review, WRDSB staff shall prepare a School Information Profile (SIP). SIPs shall be completed prior to the first public meeting and shall be posted publicly with the Initial Staff Report.

2.6 An Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) shall be established for each pupil accommodation review and shall act as the official conduit for information between the Board and affected school communities.

Public Engagement

2.7 The pupil accommodation review process shall include, at a minimum:

2.7.1 an Accommodation Review Committee (ARC);

2.7.2 engagement with affected local municipalities and community partners;

2.7.3 a minimum of three public meetings; and

2.7.4opportunity for public delegations to the Board of Trustees prior to a final decision.

2.8 All public meetings and delegation opportunities shall be publicly advertised and accessible.

Timelines

2.9 The WRDSB shall comply with the minimum business‑day timelines set out in Section XIII of the Ministry’s Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline, including but not limited to:

2.9.1 no fewer than 40 business days between Board approval and the first public meeting;

2.9.2 no fewer than 60 business days between the first and final public meetings;

2.9.3 no fewer than 10 business days between:

2.9.3.1 the final public meeting and posting of the final staff report;

2.9.3.2 posting of the final staff report and public delegations; and

2.9.3.3 public delegations and the final Board decision.

Modified Pupil Accommodation Review

2.10 A modified pupil accommodation review process may only be initiated by the Board where at least two (2) of the following conditions are met:

2.10.1 the distance to the nearest available accommodation (WRDSB elementary and/or secondary school) is less than five (5) kilometres;

2.10.2 the utilization rate of the facility is less than or equal to 50% of the on-the-ground capacity of the school (calculated as enrolment divided by on-the-ground capacity);

2.10.3 the number of students enrolled at the school is less than or equal to 125 students;

2.10.4 the WRDSB is planning the relocation (in any school year or over a number of school years) of a program, in which the enrolment constitutes 50% or more of the school’s enrolment (this calculation is based on the enrolment at the time of the relocation, or the first phase of relocation carried over a number of school years);

2.11 Even where the above conditions are met, the WRDSB may elect to undertake a standard pupil accommodation review.

2.12 The WRDSB will hold at least one public meeting.

2.13 Section 2.1 of this policy applies to a modified pupil accommodation review.

Exemptions

2.14 The WRDSB is not required to undertake a pupil accommodation review in circumstances identified in the Ministry Guideline, Section XVI, including but not limited to:

2.14.1 where a replacement school is to be built on the existing site, or built or acquired within the existing school attendance boundary, as identified by the WRDSB;

2.14.2 where a replacement school is to be built on the existing site, or built or acquired within the existing school attendance boundary and the school community must be temporarily relocated to ensure the safety of students and staff during the reconstruction, as identified by the WRDSB;

2.14.3 when a lease for the school is terminated;

2.14.4 when the WRDSB is planning the relocation (in any school year or over a number of school years) of grades or programs, in which the enrolment constitutes less than 50% of the school’s enrolment (this calculation is based on the enrolment at the time of the relocation, or the first phase of relocation carried over a number of school years);

2.14.5 when a school is being repaired or renovated, and the school community must be temporarily relocated to ensure the safety of students during the renovations;

2.14.6 where a facility has been serving as a holding school for a school community whose permanent school is over-capacity and/or is under construction or repair; or

2.14.7 where there are no students enrolled at the school at any time throughout the school year.

2.14.8 when the WRDSB is planning the relocation of grades or programs, in which the enrolment constitutes greater than 50% of the school’s enrolment, including through the consolidation of schools into a new school due to identified health and safety issues, where the following conditions are met:

2.14.8.1 the school is located on a controlled-access King’s Highway with a posted speed limit of at least 90 km/h and a single road access point, and

2.14.8.2 a third-party report identifies road safety issues, and

2.14.8.3 pupil accommodation pressures exist in schools within the school attendance boundary.

2.15 In all exemption cases, the WRDSB will inform each of the affected school communities and municipalities about proposed accommodation plans for students before a decision is made by the Board of Trustees.

Final Decision and Transition Planning

2.16 The Board of Trustees retains sole authority to make the final decision regarding pupil accommodation.

2.17 Where a decision results in consolidation or closure, the WRDSB shall ensure that a transition plan is developed in consultation with affected students, families, caregivers, and staff.

Administrative Review

2.18 Where individuals believe that the WRDSB has not followed this Policy, they may request an Administrative Review by the Ministry of Education in accordance with the Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline.

Policy, Procedure, & Guideline Integration and Alignment

2.19 Administrative Procedure 4860 – Pupil Accommodation Review has been developed in accordance with this policy. Any accommodation review process that the WRDSB undertakes must have due regard to Board Policies, Administrative Procedures, and to the Ministry’s Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline (PARG).

4000 – Pupil Accommodation Review

4000 – Pupil Accommodation Review (Consolidation or Closure)