CATEGORY: FACILITY CLOSURE
POLICY STATEMENT:
The Board believes that circumstances may arise
that make it necessary to examine the viability and appropriateness of the continued
operation of a school or selected grade levels within a school.
It is the intent of the Board to ensure that consideration of closure
and the closure process complies in all respects with the School Act and specifically the Closure
of Schools Regulations, as amended from time to time.
A. GUIDELINES
AND PROCEDURES:
1. The
Board may
a. close a
school permanently or for a specified period of time
b. close
entirely three or more consecutive grades in an elementary school;
c. close
the entire junior high school program or the entire high school program in a
school; or
d. transfer
all students from one school to one or more other schools
2. The
Board shall consider closure of a school when any one or more of the following
conditions exists:
a. in the
opinion of the Superintendent, student enrolment numbers in a school do not
allow for programming which is effective and efficient, and which provides
value for money spent;
b. enrolment
projections indicate the possibility that future enrolment numbers in the
school may not allow for programming which is effective and efficient, and
which provides value for money spent;
c. the
cost of keeping the school in operable condition or restoring it to operable
condition is deemed by the Board to be unreasonably high;
d. keeping
the school open is deemed by the Board to pose a threat to the health or
welfare of students, staff, or the public;
e. the
fiscal health of the Division, in the opinion of the Board, can be
significantly improved by making more efficient use of school space in the
provision of programming; or
f. The
student enrolment at the particular school or portion thereof being considered
has reached or dropped below the critical minimum enrolment level. The critical minimum enrolment level is
defined as the provincially funded served student (as defined in the School Act) enrolment in grades 1 – 12
of a particular school which is:
i. equal to 40 students in grades 1 – 6, or equal to 20 students in any three consecutive grades
ii. equal to 30 students in grades 7 – 9 or equal to 20 students
in schools with two grades in junior high,
and
iii. equal to 30 students in grades 10 – 12
The critical minimum enrolment level shall be assessed annually using the enrolment count on September 30.
3. After
receiving information from the Superintendent that conditions outlined in Section
A.2. apply to a
school, the Board at a regular meeting, shall provide details of the specific
school or portion of the school that it has identified as a possible candidate for
closure.
4. Once
the Board has identified a school or portion thereof as a possible candidate
for closure, it shall require central office administration to prepare a
facility viability report which shall address:
a. how the
closure would affect the attendance area defined for that school;
b. how the
closure would affect the attendance at other schools;
c. the
number of students who would need to be relocated as a result of the closure;
d. the
need for, and extent of, bussing;
e. program
implications for other schools and for the students when they are attending
other schools;
f. the
educational and financial impact of closing the school, including the effect on
operational costs and capital implications;
g. the
educational and financial impact if the school were to remain open;
h. the
capital needs of the schools that may have increased enrolment as a result of
the closure;
i. the
proposed use of the school building, if
the entire school is to be closed.
5. The Board will require central office administration to consult with stakeholders from the community prior to the completion of the facility viability report.
6. The
Board will review the facility viability report and will use the information it
contains to decide whether to proceed to formally consider the potential
closure.
B. NOTIFICATION
OF PROPOSED CLOSURE:
1. Should the Board decide to pursue formal consideration of closure, a notice of motion of this intention will be made at a regular meeting of the Board.
2. Following
the notice of motion, the Board will communicate, in writing, to the parent of
every child in the school the fact and the implications of the notice of
motion. This communication shall address
all of the items specified in Section A. 4. above and the time
and location of the public meeting referred to in Section C.1.a. below. Each of the items from
Section A.4. will
be specifically addressed under individual headings for each item.
C. PUBLIC MEETINGS:
1. Where
the Board is considering the closure of a school, the Board
a. shall
organize and convene a public meeting for the purpose of discussing
i. the closure and implications of the
closure for the students, for the community and for the school system,
ii. implementation plans for the closure, and
iii. alternatives to
the closure.
b. shall provide an opportunity for the
council of the municipality in which the school is located to provide a
statement to the Board of the impact the closure may have on the community, and
c. may
hold other meetings with respect to the closure at times and places as the
Board may determine.
2. The
date and place of the public meeting referred to in Section C.1.a. shall be
a. posted in 5 or more conspicuous places
in the area or areas of the school or schools affected by the closure, for a
period of at least 14 days before the date of the public meeting, and
b. advertised
in a newspaper circulating within the area or areas of the school or schools
affected by the proposed closure, on at least 2 occasions as close as is
practicable to the date of the meeting.
3. At
least 2 trustees of the Board shall attend the public meeting referred to in
Section C.1.a.
4. The
Board shall ensure that minutes of all public meetings held under this section
are prepared.
D. DECISION ON CLOSURE:
1. The
Board shall not make a final decision on the proposed closure until at least 3
weeks have passed since the date of the public meeting referred to in Section C.1.a.
2. The
Board shall give due consideration to any submissions on the proposed closure
that it receives after the public meeting referred to in Section C.1.a. Submissions made against the proposed closure
should include preferred alternatives.
Further, to the extent reasonably possible, the Board will facilitate
persons making such submissions an opportunity to meet with the Board to
present their response, and to discuss issues or ask questions of the Board.
3. The Board
a. shall by resolution
decide whether to close the school, and
b. if the
decision is to close the school, shall forthwith notify the Minister of
Learning in writing of the decision.
4. The Board’s debate and vote on the Notice of Motion shall
take place only after procedures in Sections A, B and C above have been completed.
5. All
school closure procedures shall be initiated and completed within the school
year (September 1 – August 31) in which the decision to close the school is
made.
Date of Adoption:
Date of Amendment:
Review Date: September
2006
Legal Reference: Section
58, School Act
Closure
of Schools Regulations
Cross-Reference: