Attendance area proposed for new Orangeville elementary school
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 5, 2013
GUELPH, Ontario — The second report of the New Settlers Creek JK-8 RT Boundary Review has been posted to the Upper Grand District School Board website, in advance of the presentation to trustees on Tuesday, April 9 and at a public information session on Thursday, April 11.
In August the board revealed plans to construct a new 308-pupil elementary school on land at B Line (County Road 23) and Spencer Avenue in Orangeville, with a target opening date of September 2014.
The boundary review, launched in February, will establish the school’s attendance area for a JK-8 regular-track (RT) program.
Report #2 puts forward just one scenario, proposing that the new school’s boundary should be almost the same as the existing Settlers Creek Development Area (DA). The proposed boundary runs along Riddell Road, the Orangeville-Caledon Townline, B Line and takes in both sides of Alder Street and Colborne Crescent.
Since the 1998-99 school year elementary students in the Settlers Creek DA have been bused to East Garafraxa PS. In 2005 Grade 7/8 students from the DA were assigned to Montgomery Village PS, with an option for younger siblings.
In the scenario all JK-7 students in the new Settlers Creek boundary would attend the new school in September 2014. Traditionally the board has allowed students entering their Grade 8 year to be grandparented at their current school, and so those students would remain at Montgomery Village PS in 2014-2015. Younger siblings of those Grade 8 students or other students who reside in the new Settlers Creek boundary would not be grandparented at Montgomery Village.
One of the advantages of the proposed new Settlers Creek boundary is that it maximizes the number of walkers, which is healthier for students. Currently all of the JK-6 students in the Settlers Creek DA who attend East Garafraxa PS are bused. A map attached to Report #2 shows that all students residing in the proposed attendance area live within the 2.4 kilometre walking distance limit for Grades 2-6 students. In fact, most neighbourhood students live less than 1.6 kilometres from the school site, the walking limit for JK-1.
Montgomery Village and East Garafraxa will offer FDK starting in 2014-2015, the last year in a 5-year implementation plan, creating significant enrolment pressure at both schools. The Settlers Creek school will resolve those capacity issues.
Increased enrolment due to FDK is also behind a plan to reassign grades 4-8 Gifted students at Princess Elizabeth PS to the new Settlers Creek school, where space will be available. An estimated 55 to 60 Gifted students from throughout Dufferin County and East Wellington will enjoy the new facility when it opens in 2014.
The community is invited to attend a public information session at Montgomery Village PS on Thursday, April 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. The staff presentation and open house will include a question and answer session, and the opportunity for people to provide verbal or written feedback.
Until May 31 the public can also submit feedback through an online form on the boundary review’s web page at:
www.ugdsb.ca/scbr
Feedback received at the public information session and through the online form will be considered in the development of the review’s final report, which will be released in early June. Trustees will make a final decision at the last meeting of the school year, on June 25.
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For more information:
Maggie McFadzen, Communications Officer
519-822-4420 ext. 725
[email protected]
Mark Weidmark, Administrative Officer – Communications
519-822-4420 ext. 544
[email protected]
Categories: Media Releases