Final report of the King George Boundary Review goes to trustees
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
December 11, 2012
GUELPH, Ontario — The Upper Grand District School Board has moved a step closer towards setting attendance area boundaries for King George Public School, effective September 2014. The Board’s Business Operations Committee has voted to approve Scenario 1 in the King George JK-8 FI Boundary Review – with one significant change. The decision must still be ratified at the regular board meeting on December 18.
As originally proposed, Scenario 1 would have reassigned Grades 4 to 6 French Immersion (FI) classes at Victory PS to King George PS. Victory is expected to be about 100 students over capacity in September 2014, due to Full Day Kindergarten and growth in the FI program. Report #3 of the review gave trustees a choice of two implementation options. The implementation option that they adopted moves only Grades 5 and 6 FI from Victory to King George and delays the move of the Victory Grade 4 FI students.
The modified scenario came in response to a campaign by the parents of Victory French Immersion students, who were vocal in their objections to moving children out of the neighbourhood school. Although the Boundary Review had the stated intention of matching Victory’s enrolment to the school’s on-the-ground (OTG) capacity, parents argued that the disadvantages of portables were outweighed by the benefits of a nearby, walkable school.
“The Board very much appreciated the input of parents,” said Board Chair Mark Bailey. “They were thoughtful, organized, respectful and above all passionate about doing what’s best for students and the community.”
The retention of Grade 4 FI at Victory will be subject to annual monitoring. If future enrolment breaches the capacity of both the school and three portables already on the site, Grade 4 FI will attend King George PS. Parents will be informed in late February of 2014 (and future years) if changes to Grade 4 FI become necessary for the following September.
The boundary review also sets a new attendance area for Grade 7 and 8 FI students in North Guelph. Many of these students have been “holding” at John McCrae since September 2011. If Scenario 1 is ratified, students from Victory, Edward Johnson and King George who graduate from Grade 6 FI in June 2014 will attend King George the following September. Students entering Grade 8 FI at John McCrae in 2014-15 will be grandparented for that year.
The King George boundary review was launched in June. The staff Boundary Review Committee received dozens of comments through an online form, and developed a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to respond to concerns and questions.
Trustees also heard from ten delegations which made presentations to meetings of standing committees and the regular board.
Victory Public School is a JK-6 dual-track school on Exhibition Street in Guelph, with 200 FI students and 84 in the regular track. Students in the regular track program were not a part of the boundary review, which was focused on the FI program.
All documents related to the review are available on the Board’s website:
www.ugdsb.ca/kgbr
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