February 22, 2008 -
In accordance with the its Pupil/School Accommodation Review Regulation BR 10, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board is in the process of conducting an Accommodation Review for its South/Central and North/West family of schools. Schools were selected for review purposes based on their potential for growth over the coming years (given the present trend) and the possibility that they may qualify for funding to build new schools under the Ministry of Education’s Prohibitive to Repair grants. Sudbury Catholic Schools Director of Education, Catherine McCullough will recommend an action plan to Trustees on the meeting of May 6, 2008.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is committed to providing a full range of educational opportunities equitably distributed across a broad and diverse geographical area. Due to ever-changing factors such as mobile population, changes in funding, new legislation, changing in educational objectives, community aspirations and physical limitations of buildings, the Board is mitigated to monitor and evaluate all schools on a regular basis.
Given the present state of its priorities, the Board will be focussing its attention on the “South/Central” and “North/West” schools planning areas for the purpose of this Accommodation Review which will include the following schools;
South/Central Elementary:
Corpus Christi, Marymount Academy (Elementary),
St. Christopher, St. David, St. Francis, St. James, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Theresa
South/Central Secondary:
St. Benedict CSS, Marymount Academy (secondary)
North/West Elementary Schools:
Immaculate Conception, St. Anne, St. Charles (elementary), St. Mary
North/West Secondary:
Bishop Alexander Carter CSS
The School Accommodation Review may result in such changes as boundary adjustments, major additions, renovations and alterations to school buildings, blending or twinning arrangements for school organization and/or programs or school consolidations
The Board is in the process of informing parents, staff, school councils, and school communities of the logistics and time lines regarding its Accommodation Review. The Sudbury Catholic District School Board has hired the firm of CN Waston and Associates, (one of Canada’s leading economic firms) to prepare population, household, employment and student enrolment forecasts in the City of Greater Sudbury and more specifically in the planning areas of the schools under review. This information will greatly assist the Sudbury Catholic District School Board in assessing opportunities for long term growth and development and help guide the Board in the implementation of accommodation strategies that will serve to enhance student learning.
Accommodation Review Committees (ARC’s) will be created to provide the Sudbury Catholic District School Board with information re School Valuation Framework and applying this framework to the schools under review, giving consideration to the value of the students, community, school board and the local economy.
The members of the ARC’s will include representative membership from the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, each school, school community and a municipal representative from each of the local municipalities in which the school(s) under review are located.
George Middleton, Chair of Sudbury Catholic Schools welcomes the Accommodation Review. “The Accommodation Review is a process that all Board’s in Ontario undertake in order to continually update their long term capital plans,” stated Middleton. “It provides our board with the opportunity to update student enrolment perspectives and assess long term capital expenditures to provide optimum programs and facilities for our students. This is the start of a year long process and decisions will be made only after an extensive review is conducted. Through consultation, a plan will be developed to benefit students and a business case will be presented for funding from the Ministry of Education whether it be for expansion of some schools or to build new school(s).
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