Centre Peel Public School and Rockwood Centennial Public School are new additions to the underutilized category this year in the Upper Grand District School Board’s (UGDSB) “elementary identified schools” report.
On June 27 the board received the 2017-18 school year report, which helps trustees gain a longer-term perspective on enrolment issues in area schools and evaluate where other reviews are necessary.
The annual report compares projected enrolment figures and the overall student capacity at each school. Each school is then identified as overcapacity, underutilized or neither for the next school year.
Overcrowded schools have a utilization rate of 110 per cent or higher and underutilized schools have a utilization rate of 80% or lower.
However, this year’s calculation method is different from previous years.
“Several OTG (on the ground) capacities have changed since the 2016-17 Elementary Identified Schools Report,” the report stated. “Over the past year, staff has undertaken a review of school floor plans, which has resulted in adjustments to some school OTG capacities.”
This means some school structures that were considered semi-permanent, such as kinderpaks and ecopacks are now considered to be part of the permanent school capacity.
For 2017-18 it’s projected that 14% (9) of the UGDSB elementary schools will be overcrowded and 32% (21) will be underutilized.
“Over half of the underutilized schools fall within the 70 to 80% utilization range,” the report states.
“Several schools have the potential for enrolment growth from within their school boundaries or as a result of growth from development area assignments.”
Last year there were 14 underutilized elementary schools. Wellington county schools listed among the seven new additions to the underutilized list for 2017-18 are Rockwood Centennial at 77% utilization and Centre Peel Public School at 72%.
The overall student capacity at Rockwood Centennial increased since the 2016-17 report because a special education room was converted to a classroom.
“This has pushed the school into the underutilized category,” the report states.
Last year it was projected Centre Peel Public School would be overutilized, but enrolment was “much lower than originally projected and is expected to decline further in 2017-18,” the report states.
“Enrolment at Centre Peel PS can be variable due to the educational options in the area. “
In addition to the seven new underutilized schools, those remaining from last year include the following county schools: Eramosa Public School (72%), Alma Public School (71%), Kenilworth Public School (62%), Erin Public School (51%) and Ross R. MacKay Public School (45%).
Based on longer-term projections the Wellington County schools that are likely to remain underutilized include: Eramosa PS, Alma PS, Kenilworth PS, Erin PS, and Ross R. MacKay PS.
Erin Public School is scheduled to be used for facility partnership space.
“The board received approval to retrofit space in Erin PS for purpose built childcare,” the report says. “Once this facility is constructed, the space will be removed from the OTG and utilization at the school will improve.”
Other elementary schools in the county are neither overcrowded nor underutilized.
