Wellington North council is calling on the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) to keep Kenilworth Public School open.
The board has set up an accommodation review committee to look at options for the three public schools in the township – Arthur Public School, Kenilworth Public School, and Victoria Cross Public School in Mount Forest. The committee is looking at options for all three schools and has settled on continuing the status quo or closing Kenilworth and splitting students between the two urban schools. The board is willing to hear other options and has established a website for public comment on the review.
CAO Mike Givens, who is the township representative on the committee with a vote on the options that will go to the board for final consideration, released a report to council at its meeting Aug. 11 calling for retaining the status quo.
Givens pointed out in his report the two options contain different costs to the board. By keeping Kenilworth open the board would see an annual operating cost for all three schools at almost $463,000 while closing the rural school would see costs dip to slightly more than $385,000. Retaining the status quo would also mean capital costs to the board of $250,000 for full-day kindergarten at Kenilworth and $650,000 in renovation work needed to the school. Closing Kenilworth would see the board spending $10,000 for portables in Arthur and Mount Forest.
The figures do not include transportation costs.
The board initiated the review due to declining enrolment at Kenilworth which is now at about 100 students. A staff report recognized that Kenilworth is not an “under-utilized” school, but notes the small capacity and enrolment makes it more costly to operate, maintain and renew on a per-pupil basis.
“Although option 1 – status quo has a negative cost connotation and does not coincide with many of the reference criteria provided by the board it causes the least amount of disruption to township residents. Kenilworth Public School has served the residents well and the idea of a vacant school in the township is not something the council of the Township of Wellington North can support,” Givens said in his report to council. “We recognize the fiscal challenges that the board faces annually, but we ask that the board give serious consideration to the value of a small, rural school to the students, parents and teachers in the area. Although the township does not anticipate population growth in the rural areas, we do anticipate future growth in the urban areas (Mount Forest, Arthur) and believe that option 1 leaves the township In the best position to serve this future growth.”
Council agreed.
The board will also be holding public meetings at Kenilworth school on Sept. 18 and Oct. 29. Both meetings start at 7pm.
Givens said as the township representative on the committee it was his responsibility to reflect the “municipal perspective” on the issue. The statement will be part of his submission to the committee.
He anticipates the committee will forward its options to the board in November which is expected to make a decision in February.
