Boundary reviews for two school group areas within Hastings Prince Edward District School Board continue this week with public meetings.
As part of the board’s Long-term Capital and Accommodation Plan, the Boundary Review Ad Hoc Committee (BRAC) is reviewing the Bayside-Trenton & Harmony-Foxboro areas where populations have been growing.
An outside consulting firm has examined various options and scenarios and how any proposed boundary changes would impact enrolment, student distance from schools, busing and grade structures.
Superintendent Ken Dostaler says that growth is not always easy to predict.
“So we work with experts to help us get the best projection, the best numbers we can get now. We know who’s in our schools but what will the growth look like, and that’s what accommodation reviews are. Where will we be down the road and how can we alleviate these pressures if we’ve got seats available, let’s say in Quinte West, how can we utilize those seats in those schools?”
“Essentially yes, you have to reconfigure. The government had put a moratorium on opening new schools and within our area, our growth is going up but it’s not going up substantially enough to justify opening a new school.”
Dostaler adds it’s not just about what, but when, any changes may happen.
“There may be a suggestion not to move anything until, let’s say, ’25/’26. There may be a suggestion that it should happen in September ’24. There may be even advocacy, for example, for the Quinte West boundary where we have new growth happening just outside of where the high school is, maybe there’s an advocacy to the ministry to take a look at that.”
Click here to go the board’s Long-term Capital and Accommodation Plan and previous meetings of the BRAC outlining possible options.
Meeting dates and formats are below:
Bayside-Trenton Boundary Review
TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2024
Afternoon: 1:00 – 2:30 PM, WR Kirk Building, 224 Palmer Road, Belleville
Evening: 6:00 – 7:30 PM, Bayside Secondary School, 1247 Old Highway 2, Belleville
Harmony-Foxboro Boundary Review
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2024
Afternoon: 1:00 – 2:30 PM, WR Kirk Building, 224 Palmer Road, Belleville
Evening: 6:00 – 7:30 PM, Harmony Public School, 626 Harmony Road, Corbyville
Meeting format (same for all meetings)
Brief presentation at the start to set the context. Display boards with the proposed options, as determined by the parent/community Boundary Review Committees, will be set up at each meeting. School board staff and representatives from Watson & Associates, the consultant assisting with the boundary reviews, will be there to answer questions. New options will not be considered. An online form will be available for feedback on the options.
