School Revitalization Process
Threatens Neighbourhood
Board reveals closure scenario at Public Information Meeting
By Craig Hermanson,
LockeStreet.com Coordinator &
Earl Kitchener Parent Representative
30 April 2003: This is a great neighbourhood and it's been improving.
Businesses and homes are receiving more than simple maintenance—property
owners are making significant investments which are continuously
improving our street-scapes. Witness the renaissance on Locke Street
and new life on Dundurn if you have any doubts. Dare I ask? What
about the Allenby Loft conversion to showcase the vitality of the
neighbourhood? Or use another measure. Compare the cost of a haircut
on Locke Street five years ago to now.
I strongly support revitalization in our community. I'm not from
here, but I choose to live here, have no intentions of moving elsewhere,
will rally to protect what is great about this area and fight to
improve what is not.
I have hope for the future of this neighbourhood but feel we are
threatened if the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has its
way with their School Revitalization Strategy.
The agenda of the Hamilton School Board (under the leadership of
Dr. Murray) is to eliminate 350 pupil positions in Hamilton West
(over and above the Sanford School consolidation). The only
scenario presented by the Board to the Hamilton West Area
Accommodation Review Committee (on which I sit as a representative
of Earl Kitchener) is to close Central and Strathcona schools and
distribute these students to Earl Kitchener and Hess schools. This
would increase EK's student population from 370 to 600 full time
pupils and Hess to approximately 490 students. And that would mean
portable classroom space for EK.
In fact, a preference was stated by Board staff for a solution
which includes portable classrooms and 'portapack units' as these
can fill schools above the Ministry Rated Capacity.
The goal is to show more students than there is space for so that
mortgage money can be received to build new schools. And the areas
identified for new schools are strictly in the suburbs of South
Mountain, Ancaster, Glanbrook/Binbrook and Waterdown.
Revitalization to The School Board means new buildings in the suburbs
not renewal in urban areas. In essence, use of portable space at
EK and Ryerson would fund the building of a new elementary school
in the Meadowlands—proposed to open in September 2005. Note:
To maintain provincial grants for the mortgage on this new school,
the Board would need to maintain this pupil capacity throughout
the 25 year mortgage!
To support the mandate of eliminating 350 pupil spaces, The Board
presented a number of charts detailing population and migration
rates. To be honest, these show there HAD been a downward trend
in need for pupil space in Hamilton West. But they also showed an
upward bounce in recent years with births at a three year
high and positive migration of school aged children since 1997.
Of particular concern,
- The Boards assumptions IGNORE the upward movement in numbers
of recent years yet predict flat future population changes.
- The Board's assumptions IGNORE the urban renewal which is is
advocated by the City and is taking place in Hamilton's South
West.
- They pay no heed to the well-documented influx of Toronto buyers
and the associated fierce competition for family homes here or
what this might mean in terms of enrollment.
- The demographics provided do not explore cohorts other than
newborn and school aged children, such as residents approaching/of
an age consistent with child-rearing or home-downsizing age.
- The choice to close a newer school (Strathcona was built in
1985) flies in the face of the stated purpose of revitalizing
the school system.
- Sanford is being demolished and rebuilt and the size of this
school could exasperate or alleviate the excess-capacity in the
system.
I have to question if this scenario has the potential to create
a self-fulfilling prophecy whereby The Board's actions would stunt
the growth in the south west and cause enrollment to slip. Closing
a perfectly good and well maintained structure to outfit an aging
and somewhat neglected school with portable structures can only
act to discourage community revitalization efforts. Good schools
in the public and separate boards are a major draw to this neighbourhood.
Neglect here while new schools are built in the suburbs would surely
affect enrollment not to mention the quality of life for all residents
in our neighbourhood.
However, I have hope because I live here and know what this community
is like and what the response will be like. As one parent said,
"Earl Kitchener needs to be revitalized, not victimized"
and we will mobilize the school community as necessary.
I need to say that this is not a Not-In-My-Back-Yard response.
We're concerned with the bigger picture; for the well-being and
attractiveness of public education, for the health of our urban
environment, and for the sustainable growth of Hamilton in general.
There are 'empty pupil spaces' in Westdale too, but what would be
the result on a community where the number of homes rented to multiple
University students has increased from 46% in 1996 to 49% in 1999?
Complete student ghetto? Unacceptable.
We need to respond to the excess-capacity in the system, but surely
we can respond more creatively to this problem than closing a perfectly
good building to place our children into portable classrooms. If
not, I doubt the Board's troubles with excess-capacity will be behind
them. What would be the response by EK parents?
The mandate does not need to be the elimination of 350 pupil spaces,
only the elimination of 350 excess-pupil spaces—and there
is a huge difference between the two. Let's be open, think outside
the box and move forward with positive solutions and a positive
future.
More on School Closure Issues:
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