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Board opts for purchase of Lakeshore Woods school site By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF 5 · Friday, February 5, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Halton District School Board trustees were in the mood to shop last night, as they unanimously agreed to purchase a lot in the Lakeshore Woods subdivision. The site, located at on the north side of Shell Park in southwest Oakville, is zoned for a school. However, low enrolment numbers in the area resulted in a proposed elementary school being shelved. The owner of the land, New Province Homes Ltd., had interest from a developer in transforming the vacant lot into a subdivision if the school board did not intend to build. While the school board still has not made a decision on whether the land will be used for a new school, it chose to hold onto the property Wednesday night. Board staff has said a Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) process is in the near future for the area. Therefore, buying the land creates more options down the road. "If we do not purchase the site, we are closing the door at this point in time on a school within Lakeshore Woods," said Steven Parfeniuk, board superintendent of business services, prior to the trustees' decision Wednesday night. "Buying the site gives us that flexibility during the PARC process to have that on the table as an option that the community might want to consider when they are going through the community consultation process." Southwest Oakville is struggling with dwindling attendance numbers in some of its English elementary schools. There are currently about 400 total excess spaces in several southwest Oakville public elementary schools, according to board staff. If a proposed 504-student elementary school was built on the site, and run as an English single-track school, it would only be about 75 per cent full. This would increase to 86 per cent utilization once full-day junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten is implemented. The new school would draw students from other public schools, hurting enrolment numbers at Eastview and Gladys Speers public schools, in particular. However, Ecole Pine Grove, a French immersion school in the area, is bursting at the seams with close to 650 students and four portables, according to board staff. Don Vrooman, trustee for that area, has suggested that if a new school was built as a dual-track centre, it would help alleviate some pressure from Pine Grove. own Servic Out-of-T e & ort p Air OAKVILLE UNITED TAXI Introducing the Crystallo! The latest in fireplace technology · · · · · · · · · · · · GO GREEN! Mastering the art of fire. 3600 Laird Rd., Units 12 & 13 Mississauga, ON Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5, Sat. 10-4, Sun. 12-4 905.338.0044 Ê Join our growing team, call 905-338-6106 CALL US 24 HOUR · 7 DAYS A WEEK www.ontariohearth.com 905.569.2404 Ê THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT