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:
- Affected Area A – Highland P.S./Tait Street P.S. boundary change
- Affected Area B – Highland P.S./Blair Road P.S. boundary change
- Affected Area C – Blair Road P.S./Tait Street P.S. boundary change
- Affected Area D – Dickson P.S./Highland P.S. boundary change
- Affected Area E – Dickson P.S./Tait Street P.S. boundary change
- Affected Area F – Dickson P.S./Blair Road P.S. boundary change
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
- Meeting announcement
- January 14, 2013 Committee of the Whole Agenda
- Re-examination of the West Galt Elementary Schools Pupil Accommodation Review Recommendations Report
- Staff Presentation
- Delegation Presentations
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 15, 2012 Committee of the Whole Meeting Agenda
- West Galt Elementary Schools Pupil Accommodation Review Administrative Analysis 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).
- Community Information Session Announcement
- Further details and information posted below under Public Meeting Announcements, Presentations and Minutes
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
- Public Meeting #1 – Wednesday, October 5, 2011
- Public Meeting #2 – Thursday, March 1, 2012
- Public Meeting #3 – Tuesday, March 27, 2012
- Public Meeting #4 – Tuesday June 5, 2012
- Announcement
- Draft Accommodation Report and Recommendations of the ARC
- Display Boards
- What’s new
- Draft Recommendation #1: Close Dickson P.S.
- Draft Recommendation #2: Construct a new JK-6 facility
- Draft Recommendation #3: New boundary for Blair Road P.S.
- Draft Recommendation #4: Gr. 6 and new boundary for Highland P.S.
- Draft Recommendation #5: New boundary for Tait Street P.S.
- Draft Recommendation #6: Gr. 7 and 8 only at St. Andrew’s P.S.
- Timeline and Objectives
- Next Steps
- Committee of the Whole Meeting – Monday June 18, 2012
- Community Information Session – Thursday October 25, 2012
- Community Information Session Announcement
- Presentation
- Minutes
- Display Boards
- Possible Implications for Affected Areas in Scenarios A and B (Please note all listed possible implications, including transportation provisions, are subject to change)
- Blair Road P.S. to Tait Street P.S.
- Dickson P.S. to Highland P.S.
- Dickson P.S. to Tait Street P.S.
- Highland P.S. to Blair Road P.S.
- Highland P.S. to Tait Street P.S.
- Highland P.S. Out of Boundary/Out of Review Area French Immersion, North of Cedar Creek Rd/Cedar St/Concession St/Main St
- Highland P.S. Out of Boundary/Out of Review Area French Immersion, South of Cedar Creek Rd/Cedar St/Concession St/Main St
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.
- ARC Meeting #1 – Tuesday, September 27, 2011
- ARC Meeting #2 – Tuesday, October 25, 2011
- ARC Meeting #3 – Tuesday, November 15, 2011
- ARC Meeting #4 – Tuesday, November 29, 2011
- ARC Meeting #5 – Wednesday, January 11, 2012
- ARC Meeting #6 – Wednesday, February 1, 2012
- ARC Meeting #7 – Wednesday, February 15, 2012
- ARC Meeting #8 – Wednesday, March 7, 2012
- ARC Meeting #9 – Tuesday, March 20, 2012
- ARC Meeting #10 – Tuesday, April 10, 2012
- ARC Meeting #11 – Wednesday, May 2, 2012
- ARC Meeting #12 – Tuesday, May 22, 2012
- ARC Meeting #13 – Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Background Information/Important References
- Report on Elementary Boundary Studies and Accommodation Reviews – Feb. 14/11
- Board Policy 3002 – Elementary School Size and Configuration
- Board Policy 4000 – Pupil Accommodation Review
- Ministry of Education Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline
- Ministry of Education Administrative Review of Accommodation Review Process