Excerpts from press release:
More school boards across the province are exploring the option of closing schools in the face of enrolment declines and budget pressures.
Research from People for Education shows that there are 172 schools slated or recommended to close in Ontario between 2009 and 2012, and a further 163 under review for possible closing.
Though there are times when closing a school is the right choice, there are many other cases where schools could be kept viable by changes in both funding and policy, says Annie Kidder, Executive Director of People for Education, an independent, parent-led organization. We have to start looking at the potential in our schools to act as centres of integrated services for families and children, and we have to fund them accordingly.
Data in report reveals provincial problem.
The report shows that school closings will increase every year for at least the next three years.
Among the other findings:
-Across the province, there are 172 schools slated to close or recommended for closing over the next 3 to 4 years.
-A further 163 schools are currently undergoing Accommodation Reviews for possible closing.
-In 8 of Ontarios 72 boards, enrolment has declined by more than 20% since 2002. In Superior Greenstone DSB, for example, enrolment has declined by 39%.
Ontario will have 140,000 fewer students in 2012 than it had in 2002.
-The average elementary school now has 310 students, compared to an average of 365 in 1997/98.
-There are 812 students in an average secondary school, compared to a high of 947 students per school in 2002/03.
People for Education recommends:
-Moving forward with all aspects of With Our Best Futures in Mind, the report on early learning, to provide support for schools to act as one stop shops providing coordinated and integrated services for families, children and youth.
-Establishing a provincial integration framework for all programs and services for families, children and youth. The framework, with the Ministry of Education acting as the leader among leaders, should include not only a funding mechanism, but also a range of outcome measures for student success, student and community engagement, community health, integration of services and equity of outcomes.
Before the review of funding in 2010, the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with Ministries such as Children and Youth Services, Health, Health Promotion and Municipal Affairs should:
- examine research on optimal school size;
- investigate the impact of a community hub model on things like overall health promotion, neighbourhood viability, youth violence and poverty reduction; and
- develop policy and funding to support and promote integrated planning and schools as community hubs.