What is a facility partnership?
A Facility Partnership is a cooperative and collaborative relationship between the school board and community organizations for the use of buildings and sites. These include various levels of government and public and community agencies, as defined in Administrative Procedure 4990 – Community Planning and Facility Partnerships.
Offering space in schools to partners can strengthen schools’ role in their communities, provide a venue for programs, and facilitate coordination and improved access to services for students and the broader community. Developing partnerships aims to reduce facility costs and/or improve educational opportunities for students.
Please note that entities providing competing education services, such as tutoring services, Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 private schools or private colleges, credit-offering entities that are not government-funded, and political organizations, are not eligible partners.
Annual Meeting
The annual Community Planning and Facility Partnerships public meeting will be held on September 28, 2026, at 7:00 pm, as part of the regularly scheduled Board Meeting.
Current Opportunities
The Long-Term Accommodation Plan provides more detail on where the WRDSB requires additional capacity (to be addressed through new school construction and major additions, pending funding) and where underutilization is projected, which may create licensing opportunities.
Proposed new schools are prime candidates for partnership opportunities.
Becoming a Partner
Where available space has been identified for partnership or co-building opportunities, the WRDSB will use the Community Partner Selection Criteria in Section 3 of Administrative Procedure 4990 to evaluate partners’ suitability and their proposals related to specific sites.
Costs
Should a new partnership agreement be established, community partners must pay for and finance their share of construction and operating costs, including a share of joint-use or shared space.
Contact Us
Thank you for your continued interest in partnering with us. Questions may be directed to partnerships@wrdsb.ca.
Resources
Ministry of Education Community Planning and Partnerships Guideline – 2015
Board Policy 1011 – Community Planning and Facility Partnerships
Administrative Procedure 4990 – Community Planning and Facility Partnerships
