Pupil Accommodation Reviews

There are currently no Pupil Accommodation Reviews taking place at the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for deciding the most appropriate pupil accommodation arrangements for the delivery of its elementary and secondary programs.

School boards across Ontario have always opened new schools and closed older schools where the population of students has shifted. This is a reflection of the cycle of economic growth or decline and demographic change within communities.

If school boards are to deliver high quality education programs and services to their students, they must respond and adjust to such changes. The Ministry of Education funds education in Ontario and works in partnership with local school boards to manage this change.

Since Ontario school boards are mainly funded on a per-student basis through grants from the Ministry of Education, school boards, and therefore schools, lose funding as their enrolment declines. When funding decreases, all students in a school board are affected because the cost of maintaining empty space is spread across all of the schools.

When a school has excess space because of low enrolment, the excess space still costs the board money to staff, maintain and operate. One of the key responsibilities of school boards is to ensure that funding is focused on students who are in classrooms, and not on maintaining empty classrooms. The board must make decisions regarding the best accommodation and program options for students relative to the funds that are available.

School boards generally consolidate and close schools to enable improved educational options and opportunities for students. By bringing students together through a school consolidation, school boards are often able to offer a better educational experience. Some of the potential improvements may include:

• The range of programming and courses available.
• The availability of specialized support services for individual students or small groups.
• Specialized facilities, such as gyms, libraries, design and technology, music and science rooms.
• Sufficient enrolment to support sports teams and other extracurricular activities.
• A school building in better condition than the one that is to close.
• Accessibility features with respect to entry, movement within the facility and outdoor play space.

For more information on the Pupil Accommodation Review process, please refer to the Board Policy – OPS 400.16 – Pupil Accommodation Review .

The policy aligns with the revised Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline , Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline, March 2015 released by the Ministry of Education on March 26, 2015 as a part of the School Board Efficiencies and Modernization strategy, which provides a more efficient tool to address Board needs to close and consolidate facilities with meaningful input from the community. The Ministry also provides a Guide to Inform Parents and Guardians regarding the process.