Community Planning and Facility Partnership
319 Community Planning And Facility Partnership Policy (Partnership Application Form) provides direction to work with community partners in order to share facilities to the benefit of the Board, students and the community, and to optimize the use of public assets owned by the Board. Existing schools with surplus space that are eligible for potential partnerships are outlined in the Identified Schools Reports, which are presented to the Board each year.
The Planning Department typically prepares an annual Community Planning Facility Partnership review which is included as part of the annual Long Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP) Review. The purpose of the LTAP Annual Review Report is to provide updated information on enrolments, municipal development, provincial policies etc. and to ensure that the short-term work plan priorities and timing outlined in the LTAP remain appropriate.
2025 Long Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP) Annual Report
The Community Planning and Facility Partnership Section provides an update on the potential use of surplus space and/or potential co-build opportunities community partnership opportunities in accordance with Policy 319.
Our annual LTAP Report has identified 5 elementary schools that meet the criteria for the 2025/26 school year. However, given housing developments, specialized programs and enrolment pressures in the coming years, only one school will have available space. This school is Centre Peel PS which is a small rural school in Mapleton Township that may be considered for a long-term partnership. If an organization is interested in pursuing a partnership at Centre Peel PS, please reach out to the Planning Department at planning.info@ugdsb.on.ca to discuss.
Communication to the Community
As per the policy, the UGDSB will:
inform entities on the Notification List when key information regarding community planning or facility partnerships is changed or updated.
hold an annual public meeting as either part of a regularly scheduled Board or Finance and Facilities Committee meeting or a separate meeting to discuss potential partnership opportunities with community organizations and the public. In addition to the annual public meeting, the UGDSB will maintain discussions with affected municipalities and other community organizations that may inform options addressing underutilized or overutilized space issues in schools.
This year, the meeting was part of the March 18, 2025 Finance & Facilities Committee Meeting.
Ministry of Education Guidelines
The Ministry of Education’s Community Planning and Partnerships Guideline is intended to assist school boards in establishing more facility partnerships, and to support effective planning with community partners for the use of space in new and existing facilities. This guideline was released in conjunction with the revised Pupil Accommodation Review Guidelines.
In accordance with Ministry of Education guidelines and Board Policy 319, the Board is required to identify potential facility partnership space according to the following criteria:
Facilities that have been 60% utilized or less for the past two (2) years and/or
facilities that have had two hundred (200) or more unused pupil places for at least
the past two (2) years.
Facilities that are projected to be 60% utilized or less for the next five (5) years.
Documents:
319 Community Planning And Facility Partnership Policy (revised April 2025)
Ministry Memo 2015:B09 – Release of New Pupil Accommodation Review and Community Planning and Partnerships Guidelines – March 2015
Ministry of Education Community Planning and Partnership Guideline – March 2015
Please contact planning.info@ugdsb.on.ca with any questions.