No new schools for Dundas, Ancaster in staff report to trustees
By Craig Campbell, Dundas Star News
Costs associated with the West Accommodation Review Committee recommendation to close high schools in Dundas and Ancaster and replace them with two new schools do not make it a viable option, school board staff say in a report to trustees.
Staff recommend closing Parkside in June 2014 and relocating all Dundas high school students to a renovated Highland for September 2014. The recommendation includes no reference to Ancaster High.
Specific capital improvements to Highland recommended by board staff include: a new single gym with change rooms and storage; six new science labs, an expanded cafeteria with storage; interior renovations to create three additional classrooms and renovations to provide a new staff room.
The staff recommendation will be presented to trustees on Monday, Feb. 13 along with the ARC’s recommendation for new schools in Dundas and Ancaster. Trustees will have 60 days to consider both recommendations, and will hear public deputations on the options on Monday, April 2.
The final staff recommendation is slightly amended from the version introduced at the beginning of the ARC process over one year ago. Staff no longer recommends any boundary changes – only merging existing Parkside catchment areas into Highland. The staff recommendation now also includes specific capital improvements to the single remaining Dundas high school.
As a result of those detailed renovations, the original implementation date of 2013 is pushed ahead one year.
Staff state in the report that the ARC recommendation does address many of the criteria identified in the committee’s mandate, but argue sale of Parkside would only generate about three per cent of the option’s total cost.
“Staff believes that it will be challenging to leverage the amount required for the construction of two secondary schools from the Ministry of Education in light of the current funding constraints and competing requests from other school boards across the province,” the report states.
For more information on how to make public deputations on the west accommodation options recommended to trustees at the April 2 meeting, visit the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board website at: http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/aboutus/special-hearings/
