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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, March 11, 2016 | 8 Declining Catholic elementary enrolment prompts change by Nathan Howes Special to the Beaver Declining student enrolment in south Oakville has the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) considering closing one school and consolidating two others. Affected schools The affected elementary schools are St. Joseph, St. James and St. Dominic, which have seen an 11 per cent drop in enrolment from 2011-15, according to HCDSB. The school board presented its modified accommodation review to parents Monday (March 7) at its community consultation meeting, held at Oakville's St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School. Opportunity for input Residents were given an opportunity to provide input and share their concerns. The school board is projecting an additional 11 per cent decline by 2020, followed by another reduction of 16 per cent by 2025. "This is really a story of declining enrolment. What we've seen, when reviewing census data... is that overall we're seeing a decline in our younger-aged Catholic students," said Frederick Thibeault, HCDSB administrator of planning services. "We've been seeing this for a number of years. It's been happening over the past decade." The proposed changes are an opportunity to "re-invest in your neighbourhoods, to bring forward some of these new learning environments," Thibeault said. Best to explain why "When we're looking at something such as this, which entails the eventual possible consolidation of schools, it's a very difficult subject matter to discuss. When we go into something like this, it's always good to start with why," said Thibeault. Registrations at St. James in 2016, for example, include 19 Junior Kindergarten students, while St. Joseph has about 25 currently, which are small numbers when added over 10 years, he said. "As empty classrooms start to materialize, as we've been seeing, we're no longer investing all of our resources directly to the students. We're sometimes investing into empty classroom spaces, when we really want to invest in student achievements," said Thibeault. As part of HCDSB's plan, St. James would be closed and converted to the Oakville Thomas Merton Adult Learning Centre. see Parents on p.9 The Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) held a community consultation meeting Monday (March 7) at St. Thomas Aquinas to provide information to parents about the future of local elementary schools, including St. James, St. Joseph and St. Dominic. | photo by Justin Greaves ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Doctors recommend the kyBoot "kyBoots help you keep balance and activate your muscles, from your toes to your back: they are helpful in the treatment of pain in the heels and forefeet, and are a method of choice to support the treatment of pain in the Achilles tendon and back." - Dr. Markus Müller, specialist in orthopaedic surgery, foot surgery practitioner, Lucerne KyBoots will help you with.... · Back Pain · Improving circulation · Knee pain · Strengthening muscles · Foot conditions · Improving posture AyA Kitchens of oAKville 1195 north service roAd west Enjoy a FREE Kyboot walking test, at the Medicine Shoppe on Lakeshore Rd. East Pharmacist/Owner 905.847.1522 ayaoakville.com 267 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville Mon.-Fri. 10-6, Sat. 9-1 Richard Price A Trusted name in Oakville for over 20 years! www.kybun.com 905.842.2770