A group of concerned parents at five Ward 8 schools are rallying together to fight against potential boundary changes.
The schools — Armour Heights Public School, Allenby Junior Public School, John Wanless Junior Public School, North Preparatory Junior Public School and John Ross Robertson Junior Public School — are taking part in the Toronto District School Board’s (TDSB) Ward 8 Program Area Review. As the province’s September 2014 deadline to implement full-day kindergartens (FDK) in schools approaches, TDSB staff seeks to find ways to mitigate future strains on the already-crowded facilities. The Ward 8 Program Area Review Team (PART) was also formed to consult with parents and community members about what changes they would favour at their school.
Although not final, Armour Heights parents resolved to propose purchasing two new portable classrooms to support FDK and projected growth. The school currently enrolls the full-time equivalent of 331 students despite a capacity of 305 and expects 40 more pupils by 2014.
Tracey McLean-Thompson, who helped lead Armour Height’s efforts, noted not all parents agreed with the “costly” FDK initiative. “Many think the funds for FDK could be put to use elsewhere, and based on the amount of time our community and others have spent discussing FDK, I tend to agree,” she wrote in an e-mail.
Parents at the five schools all had their own concerns, but common solutions on the table included potentially removing on-site private daycares, repurposing existing rooms or cutting programming; although, shifting.
To add to the confusion many parents are facing, Ward 8 trustee Howard Goodman stated that he was advised by his lawyer to bow out of discussions due to a potential conflict of interest addressed by a Ward 8 constituent.
Without an elected official to facilitate discussions, Jeff Hainbuch, Toronto District School Board (TDSB) superintendent, has become the chair of PART. “We recognize that communities like to stay together,” said Hainbuch. “They chose those communities because they want their child to go to [that] school.”
No decisions will be made until consultations are completed and TDSB trustees review both the PART and staff reports later this month. A public consultation is slated for May 15, at Lawrence Park C.I..
