Proposal to Close Red Rock Public School and Bus Students to Nipigon
Superior-Greenstone DSB Approves Modified Pupil Accommodation Review for Red Rock Public School
MARATHON, ON – At its Regular Board Meeting on December 5, 2016, the Superior-Greenstone District School Board approved a motion to proceed with a Modified Pupil Accommodation Review for Red Rock Public School.
This motion demonstrates the commitment of the Board to the four core priorities of the Ministry of Education; achieving excellence, ensuring equity, promoting well-being and enhancing public confidence. The Ministry of Education’s School Board Efficiencies and Modernization Strategy, outlines new requirements for boards to maintain fiscal responsibility in achieving these core priorities. In compliance with these core priorities, Superior-Greenstone District School Board is required to study schools where opportunities exist to deliver learning to students in an increasingly effective and efficient manner.
The process for pupil accommodation is governed by Board Policy 905 Pupil Accommodation, which is a procedure that complies with the Ministry direction on grants for school operation, and new pupil places. This review is a consultation process providing stakeholders with the opportunity to communicate to the School Board their perspective on the education needs of their children and their views on the Board’s specific proposal to close Red Rock Public School and transport students to the George O’Neill Public School (Nipigon).
Currently, with an enrollment of 12 students, Red Rock Public School is organized into two classrooms, Kindergarten to Grade One, and Grade Two to Grade Four. The School has experienced an adverse impact on learning opportunities for students due to declining enrolment.
Director of Education, David Tamblyn stated that, “as difficult as it was to arrive at this decision, in the end it came down to doing what is best for our students. Enrolment at the school has reached the level where students no longer have the opportunity to engage socially and academically at a level to support their learning”.
Tamblyn stated that, “Six of our eleven elementary schools have enrolment levels of less than 50 students. We are competing with our coterminous boards for a dwindling number of students. It is a model that is no longer sustainable in many of our small communities and school boards and trustees need to work together with the goal of providing the best possible educational environments to support the learning for all of the students in our communities.”
The timelines contained in Policy 905 require the board to convene both a public meeting and an opportunity for stakeholders to make pubic delegations to the board of trustees. Final reports will be presented to the Board late in the 2016-2017 school year. The Policy 905 (Click to view), which further outlines the process that will be followed for the review. Please visit www.sgdsb.on.ca to stay updated on meeting dates and communicated material.
