According to unconfirmed media reports, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) met last month in private to vote on approval of a confidential plan that could lead to the sale of 11 school board properties, three of which are in North York, including Sir Sandford Fleming Academy.

TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird said the confidential report in question is a private matter between the trustees and he could not discuss it.

The capital plan would have to be approved by the province. And the TDSB is hoping that with the plan’s approval, the Ministry of Education would lift a freeze on all TDSB capital projects and free up funding for much-need improvements at schools with long-standing crowding problems such as Avondale Public School near Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue.

TDSB trustee Howard Goodman, in whose ward Sir Sandford Fleming Academy is located, said he could not confirm or deny the leaked report’s contents or which school lands were being eyed for potential sale. But he did say he was concerned that the “leak” would build a false impression of a private trustee matter that could be subject to change at any time.

“Somebody leaked some stuff that they shouldn’t have leaked [and] that confuses people because it isn’t the decision,” said Goodman.

However, he also noted that, currently, TDSB has only two options to fund its capital projects since the Ministry of Education’s freeze: sell school lands or wait for the Ministry to give money toward TDSB capital projects.

“Those are the only two sources that we have,” said Goodman. “And since the Ministry has been rather limited in the funding that they have chosen to give us, we have some really serious needs for students.”

Mari Rutka, the trustee for Avondale, has said she was urging the provincial government to open up funds to build a new and larger school for Willowdale families.

Currently, Avondale takes on the overflow of students from three nearby schools and buses some students out of its immediate neighbourhood to mitigate crowding.