Microsoft word - march 3 meeting_school councils_prin_minutes.doc

Central Algoma Family of Schools
Pre-Acommodation School Council/Principal Discussion - Minutes
March 3, 2011 @ CASS
Asima Vezina, Superintendent of CAFS
Stephanie Smith, Chair Thessalon School Council Jeff Mitchell, Principal Johnson Tarbutt Cindy Glover, Vice-Chair St. Joseph School Brenda Butler-McTaggert, Principal Arthur Henderson Allison Vecchio, Principal Laird Don Nadeau, Principal St. Joseph Island
Introduction
• First time the board is approaching the process in this way • Would like stakeholders to come forward with recommendations rather than being presented • Accommodation Review involves: Leaving things status quo? Looking at a different format/model (JK-8, JK-3, JK-6, 7-12, 9-12, or closure)? • Normally 1, 2 or 3 recommendations are brought forward to trustees and then looked at by all community members over the frame of one year • March – discussion with stakeholders • April/May – recommendations for board • Following April – if Central Algoma is under review then it is another full year under • One year from now (April 2012) - all information and recommendations are brought forth to trustees – generally senior administration (director, superintendents) will bring forward one recommendation at that time • Centre of discussion – what strategies, decisions should be made for the best learning environment? This always has to be at the core of our thinking • Learning is the centre but there are other factors which impact (i.e. enrolments, facility • Previous accommodation review discussions occurred 5 years ago • Other communities of ADSB have accessed over $70 million (Bawating/Sir James Dunn, FH • ADSB must prepare comprehensive business plan showing that the communities are in agreement with a common vision and showing the savings for the Ministry • Hope that this time, Central Algoma can work towards a common vision – one that is suitable for the Ministry and also sets up Central Algoma schools for next 25-50 years
Enrolment Projections / Building Status
• Enrolment projections distributed • State of School Buildings: o Thessalon: Two buildings – primary (50 years) / senior (88 years) – annex (primary) is
o Arthur Henderson: Two buildings (66 years) – prohibitive to repair – not worth
putting money into improvements – better to build o Johnson-Tarbutt: One main building (53 years old) which is prohibitive to repair – 2
portables with students, 1 resource portable, 1 French portable o St. Joseph Island: One facility (46 years) – good condition
o Laird: One facility (50 years) – prohibitive to repair – well water issues
o Echo Bay: One facility (51 years old)
o CASS: One building (38 years old)
• Buildings – usually plan for them to last 50 – 60 years • To make a business case for the Ministry – if we have a plan, Ministry has to be able to fund new schools/renovations – What is possible? What should we be looking at? • Solutions that are palatable in the future Group Discussions – These are some of the discussion points recorded by participants in meeting.
• See ‘writing’ on the wall – 7/8 at CASS make sense but issues around safety/influence • 7/8 makes ‘sense’ – more options • 7/8s to CASS • Look at CASS – 2/3 capacity – some of our 7/8s are bored – shops, science labs, facilities are here (idle) – unfortunate if we don’t utilize CASS building more • JK and high school students ride together already on buses • Combining schools is necessary and look at boundary lines • Housing middle communities in CASS building (renovate/addition) rather than building • If joined all elementary schools at a central site, 480 JK-6 students, 680 JK-8 students: Where would it be? If combining all schools is even considered • Talk about – whole idea of a building on the CASS site – what are the pros/cons? Echo Bay / Laird
• Is Iron Bridge in our catchment area? No – have to get to boundary • Echo Bay/Laird combining - more or less in the same communities • Echo Bay/Laird makes sense • Laird/Echo Bay – Laird is not in the ‘downtown’ of Bar River – well water Arthur Henderson / Johnson Tarbutt / Thessalon
• Combine Arthur Henderson/Johnson Tarbutt • Johnson-Tarbutt/Arthur Henderson – if new school was built on Arthur Henderson site, there would still be a school in Johnson-Tarbutt community – if on CASS site. There is no school in Bruce Mines • Two old buildings – Arthur Henderson (beautiful property)/Johnson-Tarbutt • Is there room to segregate Johnson-Tarbutt and Arthur Henderson at CASS to house • Close Annex at Thessalon (with 7/8s coming to CASS) General Comments
• To get education we need with resources • Transportation/busing issues – this brings forth discussion about different models JK-8? JK-6? JK-3? Distance travelling to school • In school supports are lessened if status quo – ¼ time SERT – still same amount of paperwork – combining will increase supports • Building a site at CASS – if school continues to decrease – then the school is available • Two elementary buildings, one central one? • Busing will ‘match’ the model/recommendation – it is a factor but Ministry recognizes
Pulse of Communities
• How do communities feel about some of these ideas? What if you have a public meeting what • Don’t want young students at high school • Don’t want students travelling a long way on the buses • If grade 7/8 program as CASS, will it be optional? • For the first few years – testing the waters or set in stone? Tricky conversation – if optional, staffing/organization can’t be determined until September • Being in schools where 7/8s are in the schools and the benefits – have parents see/talk to other parents who have experienced this • Students are on board – parents are concerned • Superior Heights – 5 classes of 7/8 in 7-12 model – discussion has moved from • Beginning is important – approach – concerns/issues • How is capacity determined? If 7/8s were implemented, how is program going to be set- up (safety)? Request a tour and to speak to other school councils/parents. • Take time to do it well • Central Algoma would have to be ‘officially’ placed under accommodation review – then these other research can happen (trip, etc.) • Echo Bay/Laird know that change is inevitable – look at split grades, etc. - obvious that something that has to change – different group of parents involved General Comments
• Sitting back and waiting to hear – opportunity for us to proactive in the process • Important Message – it is a benefit to be a priority of the board – not talked about for the last five years – conversation hasn’t continued • Talk about these meetings – who has been involved – summarize conversation – themes • Superior Heights (teams) - Visited several schools (rural, city) – always took two take aways from each – Areas of Focus: Safety, Student Leadership, Academic Opportunities – learn from other boards the rural component (transportation, ‘no choice’, etc.) • Bringing 7/8s to high school do not improve high school programs – how we can as a board/district to increase options for students at high school level? • Focused on solutions for declining enrolment – a lot of work on electronic means of
Next Steps / Time Frame
• 6-8 weeks: Next thing is to summarize tonight’s discussion and Asima will put together some more data to get a better sense of what it might look like based on discussion • In a couple of weeks time: meeting with all Central Algoma School Councils @ CASS • Common message by Asima • Each school council will break off into groups – put own community flavour to it – what questions do we need answered before putting forth a recommendation and going out to community • East Algoma Mayors and Reeves Council – Asima would like to get on agenda and discuss • From theses discussions, recommendations will be brought forward to the board – for Central Algoma to be officially considered ‘under review’ • Decision to have Central Algoma Area under accommodation review in April 2011

Source: http://www.adsb.on.ca/Info/html/1MEETINGMarch311/March%203%20Meeting_School%20Councils_Prin_Minutes.pdf