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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday February 28, 2009 - 3 Angry Ward 3 parents confront education director By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The new community consultation process for public schools in Ward 3 Oakville got off to a rocky start on Thursday at a public information night at Oakville Trafalgar High School. The meeting was intended to inform parents and residents about the community consultation process, including an outline of how it will work, a presentation of proposed alternatives and background information. Director of Education Wayne Joudrie asked that people refrain from posing questions or making comments until the end of his presentation on Thursday night, but this request was not heeded. There were frequent outbursts by audience members during his 45-minute speech, as well as throughout his responses during the subsequent 45-minute question and answer period. The boiling point came when Joudrie adjourned the meeting, which made the already emotional audience of approximately 200 people even more frustrated. The director of education said he was tired, but the explanation did not satisfy the crowd. "We have more questions," yelled one person. Another member of the audience added, "Who's paying your salary?" "What is your job?" shouted another. While questions were left unanswered, several new pieces of information were brought to light at the meeting. One was that the surveys were ready and that they would be mailed to public school parents in Ward 3 yesterday (Friday). Joudrie said anyone else interested in filling out a survey can pick one up at a Ward 3 public elementary school or download it off the board's website (www.hdsb.ca) on Monday. The deadline for the surveys to be returned is Friday, March 13. Those filling out surveys can return them to their child's school or to the board office in Burlington. Overall trends in the surveys will be posted on the board's website before the focus groups start in mid-April, Joudrie said. Those attending the meeting also got a glimpse of the survey on one of the presentation slides. The document showed a listing of the six accommodation alternatives. Joudrie explained that those completing the survey will be asked to assign a number between 1 and 3 to each option, with 1 for "support", 2 for "can live with" and 3 being "cannot support." There is also room on the survey for other options to be suggested. Those filling out the survey can indicate if they are interested in being part of third party facilitated focus groups. Survey participants are also asked to identify their role and location on the sheet. Several queries arose during question period about the validity of the survey. Some cited concerns that people could duplicate the survey and submit extra copies with certain preferences, or forge answers for others. "How can a survey that isn't regulated be considered legitimate and fair?" one parent KAREN NEWMAN / OAKVILLE BEAVER PRESENTATION: Halton District School Board Director of Education Wayne Joudrie discusses the survey that will be sent out to every Ward 3 public school parent during a public information meeting at Oakville Trafalgar High School Thursday night. asked. Joudrie said he believes the southeast Oakville community will respond to the survey in an honest manner. "We expect integrity," he said. "We want to send the signal that we trust you. I believe the people in this room are honorable and fair people." Questions were also asked about the significance of public input in the board's final decision, which is expected to be made in June. "How much weight will be given to stakeholders, the board's requirements and the trustees deciding they have a specific bottom line, etc.," asked one person. "You can get a lot of great input, but at the end of the day, does our input really matter?" Joudrie responded that public input will be an important factor in the final decision. "I can't speak on behalf of the board, but I will speak on my own behalf on behalf of Stuart (Miller, the new superintendent of education for east Oakville schools), and everything we hear, whether on the surveys or in a focus group or in any other discussion, we absolutely will consider as we move forward.... It is my hope that you will see some of your suggestions or your input embedded in my final report to the board," Joudrie said. Thursday's public meeting was the only one currently scheduled in the consultation process. Several residents expressed interest in holding another public meeting to review the information gathered from the surveys and focus groups. "I think given the volume of information the board is going to be collecting during the survey process and focus groups, that that is a critical public meeting that needs to take place," said one parent. "I'd like to ask that the board start to model better the agreement of active listening and mutual respect, and hold that public meeting." Joudrie said he will consider this request and that another public meeting may be added. Another option he is also considering is meeting with the chairs of the school councils following the public input stage. Another new item presented at Thursday night's meeting was that information packages on the consultation process will be available at Ward 3 public elementary schools, as well as at the school board's office and online at the board's website starting on Monday. The information packages include the six accommodation alternatives, maps showing proposed boundaries, scatter maps displaying where student populations are currently concentrated, enrolment data and bussing data spreadsheets, as well as renewal and construction summaries. The introduction for the first time of two nonnegotiable items for the process sparked an angry reaction from the crowd. Joudrie said that while some things, such as the accommodation alternatives, were flexible, certain aspects of the decision-making were not. One nonnegotiable point he cited was a preference for JK-8 or Grades 1-8 schools so that student transitions will be kept to a minimum. The second nonnegotiable item was a positive cash flow, meaning the sale of the properties must cover the cost of the renovations and construction. One audience member suggested that a nonnegotiable item should be maximizing walk-to neighbourhood schools. Others questioned if the board should be closing schools at all, citing future development slated for the area in the coming years. "We have some future development in Ward 3," said one resident. "We have the hospital lands, we have the vision of Midtown... have any of these things been taken into account?" Joudrie said the board expects continuing declining enrolment in southeast Oakville for the next five years and that the Town of Oakville has given no indication that there will be a high influx of students in housing developments currently being discussed. "We conferred with Town planners and the message we've been given is number one, that it is quite a ways out... and secondly, that the intent would be that it would not generate a significant number of students. What they are looking at aiming at for those (developments) would be the young, urban commuters going to Toronto and back." Parents and residents also argued that schools stay open based on high student performance and test results. "Why is the board looking to enhance services when we have such great, high-yielding results from our schools, especially in this area," one person asked. Joudrie replied that dedicated parents and teachers are a major reason students are doing well. He added that staff in smaller-populated schools, however, is being overworked. "The students have great parents that support them and they come to school ready to learn... and our staff is doing amazing things with those kids, but they are doing it under some significant challenges, particularly in our smaller schools," he said. "They are doing all of their teaching duties, as well as doing extra in two or three other areas, like staff development and training and coaching." There were also several members of the audience who disagreed, both during the presentation and question period, with the board's current position that Chisholm is not suitable to be transformed into a possible 450-student school. The school currently has about 300 students. "When it opened originally in 1974, it had 488 students," said a Chisholm parent. Joudrie said he was not aware of this information, but that class sizes were likely larger back then. He said school board planning staff has reviewed the site and deemed it impossible to add a double gym and intermediate specialty rooms and still have the required parking and access. Some of the reasons behind this are its small land parcel and current design. As a result, all of the current six alternatives would see Chisholm closed. Oakville Ward 3 trustee Phillipa Ellis, Oakville trustee Don Vrooman, Burlington trustees Mary-Elizabeth Dilly and Janie Hames, and Halton Hills trustee Gerry Ockenden attended Thursday's meeting, but did not speak, despite calls from the audience to hear from the trustees, especially Ellis. Joudrie responded that he was the evening's presenter and had not asked trustees to speak. E-mails to trustees regarding the community consultation process in Ward 3 Oakville can be sent to Ward3Oakville@hdsb.ca. SHUTTERS Shop at Home Service CALIFORNIA & PLANTATION FREE SHUTTERS ETC.