At their October 19, 2016 meeting, the Board of Trustees for the Halton District School Board approved a motion to initiate a Program and Accommodation Review (PAR) of Burlington secondary schools.
The Program and Accommodation Review (PAR) has been initiated as a result of declining enrolment in Burlington secondary schools, as outlined in the Director’s Preliminary Report. The Director’s Preliminary Report and the detailed staff recommended option (Option 19) can be found on the Board’s website.
According to the Board’s Program and Accommodation Review policy, the Director’s Preliminary Report must include a staff recommended option. This recommendation is not a final decision of the Board of Trustees, but a starting point for consultation in this PAR. Staff has recommended (Option 19), which proposes:
To close Lester B. Pearson HS, and redirect students to M.M. Robinson HS
To close Burlington Central HS and redirect students to Aldershot HS and Nelson HS
To change Dr. Frank J. Hayden SS boundary and programming.
According to Stuart Miller, Director of Education, there are 1800 empty pupil places in Burlington secondary schools. “This poses a significant challenge for the Board and we are hopeful that by working with the community we can find a resolution to this problem.”
“I want to stress that the recommended option is the starting point for the PAR process,” says Miller. “With feedback from the public, and the research and work of the PAR committee, a different solution could arise as a result of this process.”
Initial information sessions will be held to provide communities with further information about the PAR process and rationale for why the Board is undertaking a PAR for Burlington secondary schools. These sessions will be ‘information only’. There will be no question and answer opportunity at these initial sessions.
For those unable to attend, one of these presentations will be videotaped and posted on the Board’s website:
• Tuesday, November 1, 2016 - Robert Bateman High School at 6-7 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 1, 2016 - Nelson High School at 7:30-8:30 p.m.
• Thursday, November 3, 2016 - Aldershot High School at 6-7 p.m.
• Thursday, November 3, 2016 - Burlington Central High School at 7:30 -8:30 p.m.
• Monday, November 14, 2016 - Lester B. Pearson High School at 6-7 p.m.
• Monday, November 14, 2016 - M.M. Robinson High School at 7:30-8:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 15, 2016 - Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School at 6-7 p.m.
Parents, students and members of the public are encouraged to follow the progress of the PAR through the Board’s website. Throughout the process, additional information will be shared with parents, students and the community by email, the Board’s Twitter account, the media, and other communication vehicles.
For additional information, contact:
Stuart Miller, Director of Education
Halton District School Board
905-335-3663, Toll free: 1-877-618-3456