Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are based on feedback received through the Wellington North Elementary Accommodation Review web page, letters, s, feedback forms and questions received at Public Meetings. Additional responses may be added through the public process of the Accommodation Review. Quick Reference List Key Dates... 2 How are Boards of Education funded?... 2 What does On the Ground (OTG) capacity mean?... 3 What is a Facility Condition Index (FCI)?... 3 How is school utilization measured?... 3 What is Full Day Kindergarten (FDK)?... 3 How many students are allowed per classroom?... 4 Why has minimal capital work been done at Kenilworth for the last several years?... 4 What does the $650,000 in renewal work at Kenilworth PS include?... 5 Where would the $650,000 come from?... 5 Can fundraising and volunteer work be done to offset the estimated renewal and capital costs or maintenance costs at Kenilworth PS?... 5 Has there been consideration of new subdivisions in the development of projected school enrolments?... 5 What is the cost of a portable?... 6 How are school changes supported?... 6 If Kenilworth PS were to close what would happen to the building? P a g e

2 Key Dates Next Steps Date & Location Detail Public Meeting #3 September 18, 2014 Kenilworth PS Public Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 ARC Final Accommodation Report ARC Final Report Presentation Kenilworth PS November 28, 2014 December 9, 2014 Upper Grand District School Board Office 500 Victoria Road North, Guelph Staff Report #3 January 13, 2015 Upper Grand District School Board Office 500 Victoria Road North, Guelph Board Decision February 24, 2015 Upper Grand District School Board Office 500 Victoria Road North, Guelph Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) to present scenario options to the public. ARC to present Draft Accommodation Report to the Public. ARC s Final Accommodation Report to be delivered to the Director of Education Final Report to be presented by the ARC to the Business Operations Committee of the Board of Trustees Staff Report #3 to be presented by Board staff to the Business Operations Committee of the Board of Trustees Board of Trustees to consider ARC Final Report and Staff Report #3 and make a final decision. How are Boards of Education funded? Prior to 1997 education was paid through a combination of provincial funding and locally determined property tax rates. Since 1997, a maximum amount of funding is allowed per School Board according to a Ministry of Education formula. The ministry allocates funding to each board using a formula that is based on student enrolment and the unique needs of the students in each board. The number of schools, their distribution and their physical condition are also factors. Any revenue that does 2 P a g e

3 not come from the local tax base is provided by the Ministry up to the maximum amount allocated. Boards use this money to make the local decisions needed to educate their students. Boards do this by funding and staffing schools, designing programs to meet the needs of their students and fixing, maintaining and building schools. What does On the Ground (OTG) capacity mean? On the Ground (OTG) Capacity is the student loading capacity of the school as reported annually to the Ministry of Education for grant purposes and reflects all permanent teaching space available for instructional purposes. OTG capacity does not include capacity in temporary facilities (i.e. portables or portapaks). What is a Facility Condition Index (FCI)? The Facility Condition Index (FCI) is a benchmark used by the Ministry of Education to compare the relative condition of schools across the Province. A school s FCI is calculated by dividing the value of the school s deficiencies by the replacement value of the school. Example: Value of Deficiencies = $3,250,000 Replacement Value = $5,000,000 $3,250,000 $5,000,000 = 65% FCI How is school utilization measured? School utilization measures the extent to which a school is operating at full capacity. Utilization is calculated by dividing the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) enrolment by the school s On the Ground (OTG) capacity. The Board uses two points of reference to compare school utilization: Underutilized and Overcrowded. Underutilized Overcrowded Any school where the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) enrolment falls, or is projected to fall below 80% utilization. Any school where the FTE enrolment exceeds, or is projected to exceed 110% utilization. *As of September 2014 all JK/SK students are counted as 1.0 FTE. What is Full Day Kindergarten (FDK)? Full Day Kindergarten (FDK) is part of a Ministry of Education initiative to improve education for students. Junior kindergarten (JK) and senior kindergarten (SK) children attend school all day every day. The full day program is delivered by a teacher and Early Childhood Educator (ECE) team. The program uses a play-based learning approach that supports a child s growth in all areas. FDK first started in September 3 P a g e

4 2010, and September 2014 represents the fifth and final year of the roll out of the program across the province. How many students are allowed per classroom? The provincial guidelines for class sizes in Ontario are as follows: Grade Level Class Size Range Comments Full Day Kindergarten Cap of 30 students/class Teacher and ECE for greater than 16 students Grades 1-3 Cap of 20 students/class 90% of classes across the Board must have 20 students/class or fewer, only 10% of classes may range between students Grade 3-4 combined Maximum of 23 students/class Grades 4-8 Board-wide average of 25 students/class Cap of 30 students/class Why has minimal capital work been done at Kenilworth for the last several years? As a result of the Wellington North Elementary Accommodation Review in 2003, the Board passed a motion to keep Kenilworth PS open, however, if the school s enrolment dropped below a threshold of 120 FTE students for two consecutive years, the school was to close. Although, the closure trigger was met by 2005, the Ministry of Education had imposed a moratorium on school closures at that time. Therefore, no action was taken by the Board to close the school. At the March 2010 Board meeting, a report was presented on the Status of 2003 Motion to Close Kenilworth PS. The report identified that Ministry funding sources for renewal projects are only to be used for work on schools not due to be closed. On April 27, 2010 the Board decided that the Kenilworth PS facility be maintained to a minimum standard and any discretionary abnormal expenditures be brought back to the board for consideration. Ongoing maintenance was done on the Kenilworth PS building. In February 2013, Board Staff sought direction from Trustees about spending additional monies to address renewal needs and FDK. Trustees directed Staff to schedule an Accommodation Review. 4 P a g e

5 What does the $650,000 in renewal work at Kenilworth PS include? The estimated $650,000 of renewal that was identified in a report to Trustees in February 2013 includes roofing, electrical, ventilation costs as well as upgrades that could be done concurrently with the FDK renovation. Where would the $650,000 come from? The estimated $650,000 in required renewal at Kenilworth PS would be funded by the Board s annual renewal grant which is divided between schools based on priority and urgency. The Board has the ability to allocate the monies necessary to address the renewal needs of Kenilworth PS. The basis for the Accommodation Review was to determine if this money, together with the FDK renovation needs, should be spent given the historical uncertainty about keeping Kenilworth PS open. The Ministry of Education requires Boards to be committed to the long term viability of a facility prior to spending FDK Capital funding and significant renewal funding. The Board of Trustees directed staff to undertake the Accommodation Review to confirm whether Kenilworth PS should remain open. Can fundraising and volunteer work be done to offset the estimated renewal and capital costs or maintenance costs at Kenilworth PS? No. The Province does not support the use of fundraising dollars for renewal or capital costs. Volunteer work cannot be done to offset maintenance costs. Winter snow clearing, grass cutting and custodial services are all contracted services at Kenilworth PS and must follow the Board s tendering practices. Has there been consideration of new subdivisions in the development of projected school enrolments? Board Planning Staff receive notices of all new development applications in the jurisdiction. Staff review and provide comments on new residential subdivision proposals. Proposed new residential units are entered into an enrolment projection system. Enrolment projections consider a variety of factors including historic and future enrolment trends, attrition rates between programs and birth data to generate forecasts. Yield rates by housing type are applied to future residential development which generates a student yield by grade and program at the schools where the development is assigned for each year of the projection. Current residential development applications in the Township of Wellington North have been considered in the status quo projections of the three elementary schools. 5 P a g e

6 What is the cost of a portable? The cost of moving a portable is approximately $7,000 to $10,000, including trucking, set-up, connection to services and inspection. The Board owns approximately 95% of all the portables across the district. When portables are required they are often moved from schools with declining enrolment to schools where enrolments are increasing, rather than purchasing new portables. How are school changes supported? Educators and school communities have resources at their disposal to minimize social impacts and facilitate transitions. Where transitions occur, schools work together closely with the students and families to ensure a smooth transition. The distribution of resources is also part of any transition process. Staff works collaboratively in the lead up to any transition to determine how resources can be equitably allocated. If Kenilworth PS were to close what would happen to the building? Should Kenilworth PS be closed, the Board may declare the building and land surplus. When a property or a portion of a property is declared surplus to the needs of the School Board it is circulated either for sale or for lease in accordance with Ontario Regulation 444/98. The property is circulated to other area school boards, post-secondary institutions, local and regional municipalities, the Province of Ontario and the Federal Government for a 90-day period. Offers at fair market value may be submitted by these parties. If the School Board does not receive an offer during this period, it may decide to sell or lease the property on the open market. 6 P a g e