Enrolment Planning and Program Revision Report – Dundalk Area
At the Regular Meeting of the Board on November 17, 2024, Bluewater District School Board of Trustees voted in favour of the following motion:
That Bluewater District School Board approve that students in grade 7 and 8 at Highpoint Community School be temporarily relocated to Grey Highlands Secondary School commencing 2025 - 2026 until the newly constructed growth school in Dundalk is complete.
Background
As part of the 2023 - 2024 Capital Priorities program, Bluewater District School Board (BWDSB) secured funding of $28 million dollars for the construction of a new elementary school in the town of Dundalk. This new JK-8 school will accommodate 735 pupil places and will also include a three-room child care centre consisting of one toddler room, one preschool and one family group room to accommodate enrolment pressures in the Municipality of Southgate.
As part of the ministry’s initiative to build schools faster, the capital priorities submission had to include a repeat design to eliminate any delays and encouraged school boards to have secured land in hopes of advancing the construction timeline. In the interim, BWDSB staff in consultation with planning consultants Watsons & Associates have developed a plan to alleviate existing pressures.
Staff are preparing for a program revision at Highpoint Community School and Grey Highlands Secondary School in order to better support student enrolment growth and lack of space in the Dundalk schools. Therefore, commencing for 2025 - 2026, schools will host the following:
- Grades 3 - 6 program at Highpoint Community School
- Grades 7 - 12 program at Grey Highlands Secondary School, with grade 7 and 8 students coming from Highpoint Community School only
- Dundalk & Proton Community School will remain a JK - Grade 2 with consideration to construction projects to increase efficiency both inside and outside the school.
Dundalk and Area Holding Zones
At the Regular Meeting of the Board on October 15, 2024, Bluewater District School Board of Trustees voted in favour of the following motion:
That Bluewater District School Board approve that staff conduct a public information meeting for Dundalk and area residents explaining the forthcoming changes to the Dundalk and area schools, including the grade relocation and holding zones.
That Bluewater District School Board approve the holding zones in Dundalk commencing the start of the 2025 - 2026 school year.
Background
A designated Holding Area will provide overflow accommodations and will temporarily mitigate enrolment pressures at the elementary schools in Dundalk. Commencing 2025 - 2026, Grades JK - 8 program at Macphail Memorial Elementary School (English and French Immersion), will include students in grade JK - 8 from designated holding zones in Dundalk.
A Holding Zone is an area defined by a geographic boundary, within an attendance area (usually with high concentrations of new or imminent development), where students residing in it are to attend a specified school based on available capacity until such time as long-term accommodation and revised attendance areas can be established.
The use of the holding zone will help alleviate the pressure on both Dundalk & Proton Community School and Highpoint Community School, as they will redirect new students from identified new developments into Macphail Memorial Elementary School.
Upon the opening of the new school, the school structures will be the following:
-
Dundalk & Proton Community School – Grades JK – 2 (removal of child care)
- Highpoint Community School – Grades 3 – 8
- New Dundalk Elementary – JK- Grade 8 + child care
- Macphail Memorial Elementary School – Grade JK- 8, programming both English and French Immersion
- Grey Highlands Secondary School – Grades 9 – 12, programming both English and French Immersion
Staff invited parents/guardians, students, staff and other community members to an open house at Grey Highlands Secondary School on October 22, 2024. Board staff and third-party consultants were available to answer questions from those in attendance. With the approval of the holding zones and grade relocation, elementary schools will begin collaborating with families and staff to support the transition planning process.
A full copy of the report can be viewed here: Enrolment Planning and Program Revisions - Dundalk Area
INFORMATION TO ADDRESS SUBMITTED QUESTIONS
GENERAL
Q: Why is Bluewater District School Board proceeding with the temporary grade relocation of Grades 7 and 8 at Highpoint Community School?
A: Elementary enrolment has grown beyond the capacity of our Dundalk elementary schools. Even with portables, the expected growth in enrolment cannot be accommodated at the elementary schools. Growth is coming from new development and families moving into the area. There are closed classrooms at Grey Highlands Secondary School that will provide a viable quality learning space for these students. This will keep Bluewater District School Board in compliance with the ministry mandate for classroom sizes, ensure there is no lost funding, and provide a short- term solution to address the increased enrolment growth.
A delay in the grades relocation would result in class sizes greater than the ministry average which would be a breach in the Education Act and would result in a loss of funding.
Q: When the new school is built, will it be a grade JK - 8?
A: Yes, the new Dundalk elementary school is being built to program junior kindergarten school through to grade 8.
Q: Will the location of Highpoint Community School change?
A: The board has no plans to change the location of Highpoint Community School at this time.
Q: Why did the board not consider relocating Grades 7 and 8 students from surrounding schools including Osprey Central School, Beavercrest Community School and Macphail Memorial Elementary School?
A: The purpose of the temporary grade relocation is to mitigate enrolment pressures in the Dundalk area, in support of the families moving to the area aligning with local construction and in advance of the new school build. In additional, surplus space at Grey Highlands Secondary School does not support the relocation of all area schools, including Osprey Central School, Beavercrest Community School and Macphail Memorial Elementary School.
PORTABLES AND BOUNDARIES
Q: What about the use of additional portables?
A: Additional portables were considered for our current elementary schools. Due to the limited site space additional portables cannot be accommodated. In terms of portables, Dundalk & Proton Community School currently has six portables on site and Highpoint Community School has eight and both sites will be restricted in site plan configuration and compliance with the municipal bylaws.
Q: When will we be notified as to where to register our children not yet in school (example September 2026)?
A: Dundalk and Proton Community School boundary will not be affected by this grade relocation. If your address currently reflects enrolment at Dundalk and Proton Community School, families should proceed with registering during the Kindergarten Registration process. Families are welcome to see which school they attend at on the Shared School Services website.
FACILITY INVESTMENT IN STUDENT SPACES
Q: What is the plan for future student spaces?
A: The temporary grades relocation for Grade 7 and 8 at Highpoint Community School is a response to the enrolment growth and will help bridge the limited student capacity until the new elementary school in Dundalk is constructed. Dundalk & Proton Community School will remain a Grade JK - 2 with consideration to construction projects to increase efficiency both inside and outside the school.
Q: How will the holding zones mitigate enrolment pressures?
A: Designated Holding Areas will provide overflow accommodations and will temporarily mitigate enrolment pressures at the elementary schools in Dundalk. Commencing 2025 - 2026, Grades JK - 8 program at Macphail Memorial Elementary School (English and French Immersion), will include students in grade JK - 8 from designated holding zones in Dundalk. The map above shows the three designated holding zones where new construction is anticipated to be completed creating a shortage in pupil spaces short-term.
Q: How will the grade relocation or holding zones impact bus eligibility?
A: Students that reside outside 1.6 km of their home school are eligible for bussing as per board policy ‘TCP-A002 Home-To-School’.
Q: Will secondary student programming (Arts, Drama, and Specialist High Skills Major) be impacted by the relocation?
A: Secondary students will continue to receive the same quality education after the addition of Grades 7 and 8.
Q: Will elementary student programming (Arts, Music and Drama) be impacted by the relocation?
A: Elementary students will continue to receive the same quality education based on the Ministry of Education curriculum requirements.
Q: What are the considerations in elementary for special education needs after the grades relocation?
A: Special education staff, resources, and physical spaces are based on enrolment, the staffing process and student need. The needs of the students will be assessed, and the appropriate supports will be put in place to support the learners. This includes staffing and appropriate renovations to accommodate the students.
TRANSITION AND STUDENT WELL-BEING
Q: How will the elementary and secondary spaces be organized?
A: There will be designated instructional spaces for both elementary and secondary students. Elementary students will have homerooms located on the third floor and secondary classes will remain on the first and second floors of the school. Common areas (e.g. library, hallways, and gymnasium) will be accessed by both elementary and secondary students. School administration will include the timetabling of shared spaces during their annual scheduling process.
Q: How will the elementary students be integrated into a Grade 7-12 school environment?
A: Bluewater District School Board has successfully established seven combined elementary and secondary schools. Student and staff well-being in a safe and caring environment is a priority. Elementary students will continue to be given opportunities to participate in extra-curricular and leadership activities. Leadership activities are important at all grade levels to ensure students are prepared for the next steps in their academic careers. The leadership activities at the intermediate, or Grades 7 and 8 levels are important to help them transition to high school. This will continue to be true after the grades relocation.
Q: Will the elementary students be supervised during non-instructional time?
A: Yes, elementary students will be supervised during non-instructional time as scheduled by school administration.
Q: Will there still be a Grade 8 Graduation after the grade relocation?
A: Grade 8 graduation will continue to be an important celebrated milestone for the students after the grades relocation. The graduating class will all be relocated to Grey Highlands and administrator and teacher support will assist in executing a Grade 8 Graduation for this cohort.
Q: Will the Grade 7 and 8 resources be accessible after the grade relocation?
A: The Grade 7 and 8 students will have access to the appropriate learning materials and resources after the grades relocation.