PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION PRESSURES ALONG THE YONGE STREET CORRIDOR – ST. CYRIL (WARDS 5 & 7) “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 (NIV) Created, Draft First Tabling Review March 3, 2014 April 10, 2014 Click here to enter a date. Joseph Ruscitti, Senior Manager, Planning Services John Volek, Senior Coordinator of Planning and Accountability John Shain, Superintendent of Education RECOMMENDATION REPORT Vision: At Toronto Catholic we transform the world through witness, faith, innovation and action. Mission: The Toronto Catholic District School Board is an inclusive learning community rooted in the love of Christ. We educate students to grow in grace and knowledge and to lead lives of faith, hope and charity. G. Poole Associate Director of Academic Affairs A. Sangiorgio Associate Director of Planning and Facilities S. Pessione Associate Director of Business Services, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Angela Gauthier Director of Education REPORT TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS, STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PROPERTY COMMITTEE Page 48 of 179
Transcript
PUBLIC
ACCOMMODATION PRESSURES ALONG THE YONGE STREET CORRIDOR – ST. CYRIL
(WARDS 5 & 7) “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has
promised.” Hebrews 10:36 (NIV)
Created, Draft First Tabling ReviewMarch 3, 2014 April 10, 2014 Click here to enter a date.Joseph Ruscitti, Senior Manager, Planning ServicesJohn Volek, Senior Coordinator of Planning and AccountabilityJohn Shain, Superintendent of Education
RECOMMENDATION REPORT
Vision:At Toronto Catholic we transform the world through witness, faith, innovation and action.
Mission:The Toronto Catholic District School Board is an inclusive learning community rooted in the love of Christ. We educate students to grow in grace and knowledge and to lead lives of faith, hope and charity.
G. PooleAssociate Director of Academic Affairs
A. SangiorgioAssociate Director of Planning and Facilities
S. PessioneAssociate Director of Business Services, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Angela GauthierDirector of Education
REPORT TOCORPORATE AFFAIRS, STRATEGIC
PLANNING AND PROPERTY COMMITTEE
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A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
With the passage of time since a school accommodation review was completed for this group of schools (Blessed Trinity, St. Antoine Daniel, St. Cyril, St. Edward) in 2010 and to provide the St. Cyril school community with greater certainty regarding the future of St. Cyril Catholic School, it was determined that a review of school capacity, enrolment, enrolment patterns and accommodation pressures along the Yonge Street corridor (from Highway 401 to Steeles Avenue) be undertaken. This report recommends that part of the motion approved by the Ministry appointed Supervisor at its meeting of April 28, 2010 be rescinded, and that St. Cyril be retained as an operating school.
B. PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to re-examine school capacity, enrolment, and accommodation pressures along the Yonge Street corridor from Highway 401 to Steeles Avenue.
C. BACKGROUND
1. At its meeting of April 28, 2010, the Ministry appointed Supervisor (The Board) considered the report, School Accommodation Review (2008-2009): St. Antoine Daniel, St. Cyril, St. Edward, Blessed Trinity, and approved the following:
“That St. Edward be closed, and the lease of Burnett P.S. (St. Edward) be terminated, effective June 29, 2012;
That St. Edward students be accommodated at a new 425 pupil place school to be built on 1 Botham Road, with an anticipated opening date of September 3, 2012;
That the new Botham Road school be designed to be expandable by up to 6 classrooms (138 pupil places) if required;
That St. Cyril be closed effective June 28, 2013;
That all St. Cyril regular and French Immersion program students be accommodated at the St. Antoine Daniel site;
That proceeds of disposition from the sale of the St. Cyril site, together with 138 pupil places of temporarily protected PCS grants and 97 pupil places of capital grants currently allocated to the Botham Road site, be used towards funding a replacement or expanded facility at the St. Antoine Daniel site, with an anticipated opening date of September 2, 2013;
That a consultant be appointed to prepare a facility needs assessment, funding analysis, and cost-benefit analysis in respect of a replacement or expanded facility at the St. Antoine Daniel site; and
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That a decision regarding Blessed Trinity be deferred pending further consideration and a comprehensive review of the potential of using the Blessed Trinity site as a replacement location for St. Joseph Morrow Park C.S.S. upon the expiration of the current lease with the Sisters of St. Joseph.”
2. In January 2012, Planning staff met with the CSACs of St. Cyril and St. Antoine Daniel to advise them that while the plan to expand St. Antoine Daniel was awaiting notice of funding from the Ministry of Education, an architect had been appointed, and that the process was underway. Staff also provided an overview of the demographics in the area.
3. On June 3, 2013, staff and the local Trustee met with representatives of the St. Cyril community to address some further questions and concerns. The meeting was also informed that a further report would be prepared for consideration by the Board of Trustees regarding an updated assessment of school capacity, enrolment, and accommodation pressures along the Yonge Street corridor from Highway 401 to Steeles Avenue. The report would also reconsider the decision to close St. Cyril.
4. At its meeting held on March 6, 2014, the Student Achievement and Well Being, Catholic Education and Human Resources Committee considered the report Elementary French Immersion Review. The staff recommendation included a 5-year FI expansion plan which identified the location and establishment of two new dual track FI centres per year over the five years. Included in the second year of the plan (2016-17) is an FI centre at Blessed Trinity. A revised plan was approved by the Committee, in which Blessed Trinity was removed and replaced by Holy Redeemer. The Committee also approved in part that potential new FI sites be subject to a consultation plan that is to be brought back for consideration and approval, and that staff be permitted to consider alternative locations and revise the 5 year plan should more appropriate sites arise from time to time.
D. EVIDENCE/RESEARCH/ANALYSIS
1. With the passage of time, it has been determined that a further review and analysis of the demographics and enrolment patterns in the area, as well as the availability of school capacity and programming is necessary in order to get a more current and accurate understanding of the situation along the Yonge Street corridor from Highway 401 to Steeles Avenue.
2. Schools included in the review are Blessed Trinity, St. Antoine Daniel, St. Cyril, St. Edward and St. Paschal Baylon. The location of these schools is shown in Appendix ‘A’.
3. A profile of these schools, including site size, capacity, portables, current and projected enrolment, and utilization rate, is provided in Appendix ‘B’. The following observations can be made.
St. Antoine Daniel and St. Cyril are significantly over-subscribed with portables on site. While St. Cyril experiences a gradual decline from 126% to 120% over the forecast period, St. Antoine Daniel continues to experience significant growth, from 190% to 221% over the forecast period. Additional portables will be required to accommodate the continued growth at St. Antoine Daniel.
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St. Paschal Baylon remains significantly over-subscribed at 210%-220% until completion of the addition in 2016, at which point the utilization rate stabilizes between 90%-100%. Blessed Trinity remains significantly under-subscribed with a utilization rate of about 42% over the forecast period. St. Edward, which recently opened at its new location at 1 Botham Road, maintains a utilization rate of between 80%-90% until 2020, then starts to decline over the next few years. The overall utilization rate for all five schools stands at about 120%, then drops to about 100% with the completion of the addition at St. Paschal Baylon.
4. An indication of growth from residential development is provided in Appendix ‘C’ which shows the number of residential development applications and dwelling units associated with each of these schools. Students generated from new residential development are reflected in the enrolment projections.
5. St. Paschal Baylon is included on the Board’s capital program. This capital project calls for an expanded addition to address FDK requirements, the removal of portables, accommodation of students from new residential development and a new gymnasium. The addition, which will increase school capacity to 741 pupil places, is anticipated to be completed in 2016.
6. The Full Day Kindergarten program has been implemented at St. Antoine Daniel and St. Edward. The Program will be implemented at the other three schools in 2014/15.
7. St. Cyril is the only school in the north-central part of the City which offers French Immersion. The dual track program at St. Cyril is gradually being phased out. Our Lady of Wisdom, situated in Scarborough, east of Victoria Park Avenue and south of Highway 401, is the next closest school which offers French Immersion (single track program). It too, is oversubscribed.
8. No other special programs are presently offered by these schools.
9. Existing facilities and enrolment patterns along this stretch of the Yonge Street corridor present an opportunity to balance enrolment and right-size the schools in this area. This is premised on the following considerations.
An ideal elementary school size in the range of approximately 400 to 600 pupil places was identified in discussions during the preparation of the Board’s Long Term Accommodation Plan in 2007. Schools of this size have the potential to generate academic benefits such as enhancing and expanding programming options, increasing flexibility in student placement and the availability of more material resources and equipment. Less reliance on, and gradual reduction of portable classrooms at all school locations. Implementation and enforcement of school attendance boundaries. The current practice of the Board is to provide the French Immersion program as part of a dual track program offered by the school. If a school is being considered for a dual track program, not only must the area in which the school is situated support the French Immersion program, there must also be sufficient support for the regular program.
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10. One possible strategy to balance enrolment and right-size schools in this area includes the following components.
Re-introduction of a dual track French Immersion centre at St. Cyril and establish a dual track French Immersion centre at Blessed Trinity by redirecting a portion of the FI students from St. Cyril, one grade, one class per year. Gradually redirect part of the regular program at St. Antoine Daniel, one grade, one class per year, to St. Cyril.
11. The impact of this strategy is demonstrated in Appendix ‘D’. This scenario is based on redirecting existing and future enrolment among these three schools in order to achieve more balanced enrolment and right-sized schools, as well as to sustain both the regular track and FI programs (as applicable).
12. It can be seen from Appendix ‘D’ that by redirecting 60% of FI population from St. Cyril to Blessed Trinity, the utilization rate at Blessed Trinity is forecast to gradually increase to approximately 87% by 2024.
13. Combined with redirecting 45% of the regular track program from St. Antoine Daniel to St. Cyril by 2024, the utilization rate at St. Antoine Daniel will decrease to a more manageable 130% and would result in a reduction of portables from 8 to 5. The utilization rate at St. Cyril will remain stable in the range of 117% to 126% including both regular track and FI.
14. Program sustainability for the regular track and FI programs at both Blessed Trinity and St. Cyril by 2024 is shown in Appendix ‘E’. With the high demand of FI programs across the City, it is anticipated that the FI enrolment at both of these locations would remain stable or continue to gradually increase.
E. CONCLUSION
1. With the significant enrolment and use of portables in the area, it would be prudent to retain St. Cyril as an operating school in order to provide needed elementary accommodation.
2. It would be appropriate to officially rescind the April 28, 2010 decision regarding the closure of St. Cyril and associated motions.
F. STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. That the following motion approved by the Ministry appointed Supervisor (The Board) at its meeting of April 28, 2010, be rescinded.
“That St. Cyril be closed effective June 28, 2013;
That all St. Cyril regular and French Immersion program students be accommodated at the St. Antoine Daniel site;
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That proceeds of disposition from the sale of the St. Cyril site, together with 138 pupil places of temporarily protected PCS grants and 97 pupil places of capital grants currently allocated to the Botham Road site, be used towards funding a replacement or expanded facility at the St. Antoine Daniel site, with an anticipated opening date of September 2, 2013;
That a consultant be appointed to prepare a facility needs assessment, funding analysis, and cost-benefit analysis in respect of a replacement or expanded facility at the St. Antoine Daniel site; and
That a decision regarding Blessed Trinity be deferred pending further consideration and a comprehensive review of the potential of using the Blessed Trinity site as a replacement location for St. Joseph Morrow Park C.S.S. upon the expiration of the current lease with the Sisters of St. Joseph.”
2. That St. Cyril be retained as an operating elementary school.
