Near North District School Board trustees have approved a new Capital Plan.
The plan provides a picture of areas within the Board that are "experiencing enrolment growth or decline, and background information addressing the need to right-size, comparing student spaces in existing facilities, against projected enrolment data. It is a living document that will be updated at a minimum, annually or as necessary to reflect the changes in data," says a Board release.
"After many months of intensive study of a great deal of enrolment and facility data, this Capital Plan provides a detailed picture of what our entire system looks like now and where we need it to be,” said Chair of the Capital Planning Committee Michelina Beam. “We are faced with a very real reduction in funding support for empty spaces and we need to focus what can be done in order to provide the best programming for our students."
The Board had 5,908 surplus spaces and the utilization rate was 64.2% based on the 2015-2016 enrolment data.
For planning purposes, the Board has been divided into five Planning Areas: North Bay, Almaguin Highlands, West Nipissing, Mattawa and Parry Sound. By 2020-2021, the North Bay area will represent 52% of the excess capacity in the entire Board.
Near North is an English language public school board providing French Immersion, Extended French as well as First Nations programs in 28 elementary schools, seven secondary schools, an Adult and Continuing Education Centre as well as two Alternative Schools, within the Districts of Nipissing, Parry Sound and a portion of Muskoka.
The Capital Plan is intended to provide the Board with clear directions to right-size the system to comply with the funding model and to ensure that students are accommodated in facilities that are safe and healthy, and that promote an optimal learning environment and offer optimal programming options.
Next steps in the capital planning process will include a detailed staff level review of the data and the identification of Board facilities that may be suitable for partnerships with respect to surplus space in schools.
Dates for public meetings in all three regions of the Board will be announced in the near future and municipalities and community members will be invited to attend.
