March 26, 2008
Dear Families,
I am writing to let you know about an important topic that affects your school. Last night, the Peel District School Board trustees approved a recommendation related to potential school consolidation in our community.
The recommendation is to create an accommodation review area that will include the following schools:
- Byngmount Beach PS was selected because its enrolment is at 37 per cent capacity—the lowest in the Peel board—and its enrolment is expected to continue to drop over the next decade.
- Lyndwood PS is nearby and its enrolment is 51 per cent capacity, with an expected decline in the next 10 years.
- Neil C. Matheson PS is close to Byngmount Beach and Lyndwood. Its enrolment is not at capacity, and its enrolment is expected to decline in the coming years.
- Allan A. Martin is the middle school for Neil C. Matheson and it is located near Byngmount Beach and Lyndwood schools.
Clearly, these four schools are interconnected and all need an equal voice in finding a community solution.
It's important for you to know that nothing will change for the 2008-09 school year. The review process is extensive and thorough and will take time. This will allow for the board to hear all of the community voices.
The first step in the process will be to create an Accommodation Review Committee, or ARC, to lead the review. As the superintendent of education for the review area, I will chair the committee. The ARC will have two parent representatives from each of the schools in the review area, as well as our trustee Janet McDougald, the principal of each school, and one business leader and one community leader for the whole review area.
Members of the ARC should meet the following criteria:
- ability to consistently attend one or two evening meetings of the ARC per month for about one year
- knowledge of and commitment to the larger community
- relevant work or volunteer experience that might be helpful in the review process
- ability to approach the review with an open mind
- ability to represent the diversity of the review area
If you are interested in being considered as one of parent representatives on the ARC, or if you have a suggestion for a business or community leader, please complete the form on the reverse side of this sheet and return it to the school by Wednesday, April 2.
The board of trustees will approve the ARC membership at its meeting on April 8. The committee will meet at least twice in the spring. Our policy requires that we hold at least four public meetings as part of the review, and we expect to have the first public meeting some time in June. You will receive information about that meeting once a date is set.
Attached to this letter are the following information items:
- a summary of the board's school consolidation process
- a map of the review area
- answers to some questions you may have
The complete policy and operating procedure, the report approved by the board of trustees and other information is available on the Peel board website, www.peelschools.org. The website will be an important source of information, and it will continue to have the latest updates. Please check the website and plan to attend the June public meeting.
I know you may have other questions, and we are committed to providing you with all the information you need. Through the review process and the public consultation that will be part of that process, the board expects creative, community-driven solutions to emerge. The board's goal is to best meet the learning needs of the students in this area. I look forward to working closely with you throughout this process.
Penny Gingell, Superintendent of Education
