This review officially concluded on January 28, 2013

Schools Involved

Decision

On January 28, 2013, trustees carried a motion to approve the recommendations presented in the January 14, 2013 report. Simplified, these recommendations include:

  • Close Dickson Public School at the end of the 2013/14 school year
  • Modify the boundaries for the West Galt Review Area schools effective September 2013 (Scenario B1 boundary), including boundary changes between:
    • Blair Road and Tait Street Public School
    • Dickson and Highland Public School
    • Dickson and Tait Street Public School
    • Dickson and Blair Road Public School
    • Highland and Blair Road Public School
    • Highland and Tait Street Public Schools
  • Construct a 6 classroom addition (4 Full Day Kindergarten, 2 Regular classrooms) at Tait Street Public School to be completed for September 2014
  • Implement a Partial French Immersion program at Tait Street Public School starting with Grade 1 in September 2013. Additional Grades will be added every year after (Gr. 1-2 in 2014, Gr. 1-3 in 2015, etc.)
  • Grandfather existing Highland Partial French Immersion students and siblings (see Appendix III)
  • Grandfather all existing students in the 2013/14 school year (see Appendix II)
  • Allow all Dickson P.S. students the option to stay together and attend Highland P.S. (see Appendix II)
  • Add Grade 6 to Highland Public School in the 2018/19 school year

Final approval of these recommendations took place at the Board Meeting on January 28, 2013.

On February 11, 2013 the following letters were sent home with students indicating upcoming changes:

Timeline

January 14, 2013

The Board of Trustees were presented a follow-up report to the administration’s recommendations presented on November 12, 2012 at a Committee of the Whole Meeting.

Highlights of the Committee of the Whole Meeting

November 12, 2012

The Board of Trustees were be presented with the administration’s recommendations at a Committee of the Whole meeting.

The majority of Trustees voted to approve the following motion to postpone:

That the Waterloo Region District School Board postpone consideration of the West Galt Elementary Schools Pupil Accommodation Review and Recommendations, and request staff to re-examine the recommendations in the report; and

That staff consider the comments made by Trustees and Delegations at the November 12, 2012 Committee of the Whole Meeting; and

That staff provide a report on or before the January 14, 2013 Committee of the Whole Meeting; and

That staff also include in the report, greater detail regarding the timing and approvals required for the Tait Street Public School addition and site plan, indicating the impact of proceeding with the original proposal to implement FDK in Year 5 (2014) instead of a year earlier (2013).

Notice of the meeting where staff will present their review of the recommendations will be posted on this website.

October 15, 2012

Staff presented the Administrative Analysis Report to the Board’s Committee of the Whole. This report was presented for information only. Recommendations will follow in a separate report.

October 25, 2012

A community information session was held at Highland Public School to share the details of the Administrative Analysis (further details from the report that was presented on Monday October 15, 2012 at the Committee of the Whole meeting).

June 18, 2012

The ARC’s Final Accommodation Report was presented to the Board of Trustees. The agenda for the Committee of the Whole meeting can be found here.

February 14, 2011

The Waterloo Region District School Board approved the commencement of a Pupil Accommodation Review of Blair Road, Dickson, Highland, St. Andrews and Tait Street Public Schools, to be called the West Galt Accommodation Review.

Public Meetings

 

West Galt Accommodation Review Committee (ARC)

The purpose of the ARC is to conduct an accommodation review of a particular school or schools within a given planning area of the Board in order to advise and provide recommendations that will inform the final decision made by the Board of Trustees on whether a school or schools should be either closed or consolidated.

 Background Information/Important References

School Information Profiles