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Public board juggles student numbers in southwest By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Lakeshore Woods in southwest Oakville has more than 600 public elementary school students living there without a single public school in the neighbourhood. They attend classes in surrounding communities while a school of their own has been on the Halton District School Board's (HDSB) radar for years. Now, as the board eyes building a school in the community, bounded by Burloak Drive and Bronte Road and Lake Ontario and Rebecca Street, fears have arisen it will mean a school closure in an adjacent neighbourhood. "It's pretty ridiculous when you step back and see. Why do you have to close a school to open another one?" asked Steve Collins, whose children go to Gladys Speers and Eastview public schools. The HDSB is currently seeking public input for its 2012/13 Long-Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP). The LTAP is conducted annually and looks at future enrolment projections. The report states Lakeshore Woods students currently attend Mohawk Gardens (16 students), Pineland (14), Eastview (160), Gladys Speers (191) and Pine Grove (231). A school board overview indicates an opportunity to build a school in Lakeshore Woods for the 2015/16 year, subject to Ministry of Education funding. This would help alleviate some of the accommodation pressure at Pine Grove. The area school board trustee Don Vrooman, said, historically, the Ministry of Education doesn't fund new school builds if there are enrolment vacancies in neighbouring schools. To build a school, the board would need to do a Pupil Accommodation Review (PAR) for the area. The PAR would include considering school closures or consolidations. Collins is fearful the board will close one school in order to be able to build a new one in a new community. "If Lakeshore Woods needs a school, then that's fine of course for the same arguments as the other ones. The kid has to walk to school," he said. Collins said closing neighbourhood schools and building larger ones is contradictory to Smart Growth planning policies, which call for higher density housing that will get people out of their cars and onto public transit. "Can we just keep tearing everything down? What's next? Gravesites? Churches? Nothing's sacred," Collins said. "Everything is just torn down and I don't think it does an area any good. You tear down a local school so the kids have to be driven to a farther school." Vrooman admits a program and accommodation review will need to be done because Pine Grove is bursting with no additional room for portables on site, but he said it is too soon to speculate on school closures, specifically as Oakville schools are at, or above, capacity. "It's very hard to predict what will happen in Wards 1 and 2," said Vrooman, who represents both wards. "I would hope there wouldn't be any closures, but being realistic, I have to say honestly, I don't know what will happen. I don't know whether it would happen in Ward 1 or 2." Ward 1 has two public elementary schools and Ward 2 has four. Together, they are estimated to have a utilization rate of 99 to 102 per cent over the next decade. With a new school in Lakeshore Woods (Ward 1), that would free up pupil places at the other schools. The board has considered closing schools in the area in the past -- Pine Grove, Oakwood and Gladys Speers were on the chopping block in 2003, Vrooman said. Rather than worrying about a potential school closure, Vrooman encourages people to read the LTAP and executive summary and send their comments to the board's planners. "Until we do the program and accommodation review, worrying about whether or not a school's going to close is a waste of time." The board of trustees is expected to pass the LTAP at an upcoming meeting. Following the approval of the LTAP, the director of education, David Euale, will bring a report to the board with recommendations for actions. Those actions could include a program and accommodation review, Euale said. Euale said building a school in Lakeshore Woods may not necessarily mean having to close another, but the build is dependent on Ministry approval. "We can't decide to build a school or not build a school. We can only recommend to the Ministry that they fund the building of the school," Euale said. "You don't have to close the school. You just have to justify to the Ministry the need for the school." Euale said the board could submit a request to the Ministry to build a school in Lakeshore Woods without closing another school, but the Ministry could say no to the request. It will be up to the school board to decide what request it makes to the Ministry. Euale said the most likely way the board will get Ministry approval is by showing it is occupying all the spaces available. Input on the LTAP is being accepted until Feb. 22. Those who wish to submit their comments are asked to e-mail the board's planning department at plan@hdsb.ca with the subject line: LTAP 2012-2013. 7 · Thursday, February 21, 2013 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com Burlington 20% to 50% off Sofa Sale THOMASVILLE BURLINGTON 2269 Fairview Street, Burlington Ph. 905-631-6000 SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLE Please see store for full details INTRODUCING... IN-STOCK SALE 50-75% off ALL BROYHILL