The group tasked with making recommendations regarding the future of several schools in the midtown area unveiled their recommendations to the public at a meeting on Tuesday, April 6.
While several such committees have had to address decreasing school enrolment, the Yonge-Davisville Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) was in the unusual position of planning for growth in the coming years.Some schools in the area, most notably Maurice Cody Junior Public School, face space issues as the number of school-age children in the community continues to grow. That school is already looking at adding two classrooms - a total of 46 student spaces - by the fall.The ARC's other recommendations largely maintain the status quo in the area, including the retention of current attendance area boundaries. There will be some consideration given, however, to moving Hodgson Senior Public School's grades 7 and 8 French program to Davisville Junior Public School and transplanting Spectrum Alternative from Eglinton Junior Public School to Davisville as well.TDSB superintendent Michael Smith said the core problem that required discussion was an imbalance in terms of school crowding, with some schools facing more serious overcrowding problems than others."This is our best shot at addressing the core problem of that imbalance," he said. Other recommendations, which will be sent on to the TDSB on Friday, April 9, include the possible addition of additional special education programs and the possible use of school space to create additional child care spaces in the community.Of course, the key to the process was to ensure that none of the schools in the area were adversely affected by any changes - a difficult balancing act given the projected student growth in the area."There have to be gains for every school in this process," Smith said, noting that there have been discussions regarding improvements to playground facilities, school interiors and supports. "There must be benefits to every school here - to Hodgson, to Eglinton, to Davisville, to Spectrum."The issue of overcrowding at Maurice Cody was a difficult one, and Smith said a boundary change would be necessary if the school could not be expanded eventually.Some in attendance also questioned the ARC's original designation as the Davisville Redevelopment ARC. There had been rumours, since shown to be premature at best, that some or all of the Davisville Junior Public School would be sold and turned into a residential building.St. Paul's trustee Josh Matlow said the issue of redevelopment of that space was never under the committee's purview."There is no such thing as a redevelopment ARC," he said. "We can't be discussing redeveloping properties at an ARC process. That's not what the Ministry allows us to do."While the ARC's recommendations would cost money to implement, Smith said anything less would not have been prudent given the area's needs."A no-cost recommendation for this ARC would not have been a responsible one," he said. "It was not really in the best interests of our kids and our community."The ARC's recommendations will be posted in detail on the TDSB's Better Schools, Brighter Futures website (www.tdsb.on.ca/brighterfutures/) early next week. A TDSB decision on the recommendations is slated to take place on Wednesday, June 23.