At the November 6th Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Resource meeting, School Board Trustees had another round of discussions about options to rebalance school populations through a realignment of feeder schools and school boundaries. The report included a new option based on the feedback through community meetings and online submissions.
The report described the deep concern expressed by Millbrook/South Cavan (MSC) and North Cavan parents at the October 10th meeting, noting that these communities felt administration had not been responsive to their feedback. These parents demonstrated a strong preference for their students to remain at Crestwood. They expressed concern about the loss of community connection for the rural community, a frustration with the concepts offered, the impact of the transition on student well-being, concerns about transportation, programming and extracurricular opportunities at Kenner and a desire to keep siblings in the same school. It also became apparent that North Cavan families sought an option that allowed their students to attend Crestwood that was not dependent on the future destination of Millbrook students. It was suggested that small number of North Cavan students could continue to be accommodated at Crestwood as the bulk of the enrolment pressure on this school comes from Millbrook.
As a result of this report, there are now three options on the table, with details regarding projected incremental transportation costs associated with each option.
Concept A.1 which was first introduced in September, established Kenner as the destination for North Cavan and MSC students from grades 7 to 12. The incremental costs associated with this concept were $210,000 for 2025-6 and $182,500 in 2026-7. Some of the extra bussing costs associated with transporting MSC and NC students are partially offset by the reduction of costs at other schools where some buses are eliminated by keeping local grade 7 and 8 students within walking distance of their school.
Concept E which also sends MSC and NC students to Kenner beginning in Grade 7 involves some school boundary changes. Incremental transportation costs rise to $263,000 in the first year and $208,000 in the second year due to new bus services required to send some grade 7 and 8 students at several inner city schools to Queen Mary PS.
The new concept identified as A.2 separates the destination of North Cavan and MSC students, with Millbrook students attending Kenner from Grades 7 to 12 starting next September. The path for North Cavan students is unchanged: they attend James Strath for Grades 7 and 8 and Crestwood for grades 9 through 12. The incremental bussing cost estimates are lower for this option, with projections of an extra $104,000 in 2025-6 and $78,500 in 2026-7.
There is no option for MSC students to remain at Crestwood. The report explained that the current and projected future enrolment growth in Millbrook is significant, representing one of the largest in the County and is the greatest contributor to enrolment pressures at Crestwood Intermediate and Secondary Schools.
Costs aside, the main objective of these transition plans is to redistribute student enrolments to balance out school populations. What would enrolment look like after the implementation of this new concept?
The enrolment summary of the report indicates that the implementation of A.2 would result in an enrolment at Crestwood of 107% of capacity in 2025-6, falling to 101% of capacity the following year. Kenner’s enrolment is projected to reach 54% in the first year of the transition, falling to 51% the following year.
Enrolment pressure at local elementary schools is unaffected by these changes as they impact students in grades 7 and higher. The projections for MSC indicate an enrolment of 142% of capacity in 2025-6 and 144% in 2026-7, and projections at North Cavan are even higher: 165% of capacity in 2025-6 and 155% in 2026-7.
While the board waits for the approval of a new elementary school in Millbrook, its catchment boundaries and the grades it will accommodate are yet to be decided. The board indicates that it is preparing for a quick response to a green light for new school builds. Their Facilities and Planning Services staff are lining up pre-consultation meetings with municipalities to get a head start in the municipal approval process.
There is no clear winner amongst the Accommodation options that are still on the table, but it now seems inevitable that at the end of June, Millbrook students will be bidding farewell to Crestwood. When they arrive at Kenner next fall, they will represent a sizeable portion of that school’s population, which should give them some influence over the culture, programs and extracurricular activities at their new school. The board indicates that part of the transition planning for accommodation changes includes school-based investments to support programing and extra-curricular opportunities for students. Perhaps some early student engagement would provide early insight into what kinds of investments would be most appreciated.
A final decision will be made by the Board of Trustees at the December 10, 2024 Board meeting. KG