THUNDER BAY – Amalgamating schools will create enhanced opportunities and revitalize the learning experience, insist members of the public school board’s administration.
Lakehead Public Schools administration presented their final staff report for the school renewal plan, which proposes closing two high schools and a number of elementary schools on both sides of the city, to trustees at a special meeting held Thursday night.
Board administration is recommending trustees approve a plan that would include closing Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate and Vocational Institute and repurposing Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute, leaving Hammarskjold High School and Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute as the two remaining public high schools in Thunder Bay.
David Wright, board superintendent of business, told trustees administration is committed to ensuring the process results in more opportunities for students, not less.
“Just bringing that number of students together is going to allow us to staff the school at a level that will provide far greater opportunities,” Wright said in an interview following the meeting.
“That alone benefits all of our students and our staff, quite frankly. But with the investment we’re prepared to put into this, I think it’s an absolute win for secondary students.”
The board currently operates 26 elementary schools and four secondary schools, which provide space for 13,000 students. Enrollment in this current school year is slightly less than 9,000 students.
Capital planning officer Heather Harris told trustees the plan allows the board to reduce the number of split grades, increase the offering of partial rotary for intermediate elementary students as well as provide more extracurricular opportunities for all students.
With the provincial government phasing out a funding grant that provided boards with money to run under capacity schools, board administration is projecting annual operating deficits of about $1.5 million as a result of empty space.
The recommendation of transforming Superior into an elementary school would allow the board to close Vance Chapman, C.D. Howe and St. James public schools. With Churchill closed, a new elementary school would be built on that site which would pave the way for the shuttering of Edgewater Park and Agnew H. Johnston public schools.
When the plan was first presented in February, administration provided a different option which was initially preferred that would have seen Hammarskjold close with Superior remaining a high school and Vance Chapman expanded to hold students from C.D. Howe and St. James.
Wright said a number of factors were considered, including Superior’s location as a potential centrally located elementary school, which led to administration recommending the second option.
“This is an opportunity to have one high school on each side of the city that offers equity of access to program and two new or significantly newer elementary schools,” Wright said.
The closures would also reduce the number of buildings the board owns, saving millions of dollars in facility maintenance costs.
As part of the renewal plan, administration is proposing a number of renovations and additions to the remaining schools.
At Hammarskjold, upgrades are projected to cost $3.9 million and include the construction of a new combined cafeteria and auditorium space as well as classroom repurposing and building facelifts.
The conversion of Superior, which opened seven years ago at a cost of $32.8 million, is estimated at $2.1 million with projects that include converting existing space for special needs classrooms, kindergarten classrooms and the installation of play equipment outside.
Physical resources, such as tech and multimedia equipment, would be moved from Superior to Hammarskjold wherever possible.
Over on the south side, enhancements to Westgate are pegged at $4.1 million which also include a combined cafeteria and auditorium space, upgrading the library and converting the existing cafeteria to an exercise room.
“We’re looking for parity and equity of access to opportunities for secondary students but also for elementary students,” Wright said.
“If trustees approve the plan and we’re able to provide opportunities like culinary arts, introduction to technology and multimedia for students on the north side of course we want to offer those same opportunities on the south side.”
The recommendation would see Churchill and Superior close in June 2017 with those students attending Westgate and Hammarskjold in the following September. The elementary schools would close in June 2018 with Superior and the new school opening that September.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to address trustees in September with the final decision expected to be made on Oct. 4.
