Board approves accommodation review for Yarker & Odessa schools

Limestone Learning Foundation
Board approves accommodation review for Yarker & Odessa schools
Posted on 10/20/2016
Map outlining the LDSB district
The School Enrolment/School Capacity Committee (SE/SCC) of the Limestone District School Board voted on Sept. 28 to recommend a Pupil Accommodation Review, or PAR, be initiated for Yarker Family School & Odessa Public School to begin in the fall of 2016. The motion was confirmed by the Board at its regular meeting on October 19, 2016:

This follows the receipt of an Initial Staff Report on both schools outlining the various accommodation options and rationale for the schools going forward. The report recommends the closure of Yarker Family School and the relocation of students to Odessa Public School. It’s important to note that no decisions have been made at this time. The recommendations will now be explored through the Pupil Accommodation Review.

“We understand that discussing the potential consolidation or closure of a school may be anxious for the school communities involved,” says LDSB Board Chair Paula Murray. “We want our students, families, staff and broader communities to know that we are committed to hearing all voices and making sound decisions that will best support student programming while ensuring fiscal responsibility over the long term.”

The review process is a comprehensive one that is scheduled to begin in late October and conclude in the late spring of 2017. There are a number of changes in the Board’s Pupil Accommodation Review Policy #15 that were updated earlier this year based upon the Ministry of Education Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline which was revised in 2015. The format, content and role of the Initial Staff Report is one of these changes, as is the way in which consultation feedback is collected and used.
As outlined in Board policy a Public Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) will be established. This committee is made up of parents, staff and administration from the affected schools as well as support staff from the Board. The area Trustee will also serve as ad hoc committee member to monitor the PARC progress.
The PARC serves as the official conduit for information sharing between the Board and school communities. It may comment on the Initial Staff Report and may seek clarification. The PARC may also provide options other than those in the Initial Staff Report as long as supporting rationale is included.

The PARC will include four working committee meetings and two public meetings within a six-month period. All meetings of the PARC are open to the public to observe.

Following the PARC process, staff will produce a final report to be delivered to the SE/SCC in the spring of 2017. The SE/SCC will hold a meeting to allow the public to make formal delegations concerning the Final Staff Report.

It is expected that the Board of Trustees will make its final decision regarding this Pupil Accommodation Review at its May 17, 2017 meeting.

“The Board of Trustees is committed to open decision making, and all information about the accommodation review process, will be shared widely,” says Chair Murray. Meeting dates, agendas, minutes and background information will be published to the Board website and shared with affected school communities.

Letter to Yarker & Odessa Families

For more information, please contact:
Karen Smith, Communications Officer
613-544-6925 x 314 | 613-328-0947 mobile
Jane Douglas, Communications officer
Communications Officer
613-544-6925 x 311 | 613-328-0916 mobile

The Limestone District School Board is situated on traditional territories of the Anishinaabe & Haudenosaunee.