| Jan 28, 2010


Five months after receiving the final report from a Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) into the future of the Sharbot Lake Family of Schools, the senior staff of the Limestone District School Board have released their response.

Both reports call for the building of a new Kindergarten to grade 12 school and the closure of Sharbot Lake Public and High Schools as well as Hinchinbrooke Public School in Parham, but under the PARC report Land O'Lakes Public School would remain open. Under the recommended option of the senior staff report, Land O'Lakes would be closing as well. Of the current schools in the family, only Clarendon Central Public School in Plevna would remain open.

As well, while the PARC report left open the possibility of an alternate location for the new school, the senior staff report recommends that the school be built in Sharbot Lake, on the site of the current Sharbot Lake High School.

During the PARC process, a compelling case for locating the new school in Parham was made by a parent member of the committee, Lesley Pickard, and the report left open the possibility of locating the school there.

The PARC report and the senior staff report will both be presented at a public meeting on March 2 at 7:00 p.m. at Sharbot Lake High School. Subsequently, a final decision will be made by the Limestone School Board's trustees.

“I'm certainly disappointed with the senior staff report,” said Jaime Riddell, one of the co-chairs of the Parent Council at Land O'Lakes. “I think that after going through the whole process it's quite evident that from the get go they were in favour of closing schools, and building one mega school. Their proposal does not guarantee that a new school will offer more programs, so I see no reason to support it.”

The senior staff report recommends that “the Limestone District School Board consider the new school as a possible site for a Choices at Seven program or an extended French program”.

The PARC recommendation calls for a school with a capacity of 488, while the senior staff recommendation calls for a school with a capacity of 652 students.

Each project foresees a funding shortfall for the board, as they will cost more than the province has committed towards the project. The board is hopeful that the province will provide $1.6 million in additional funding to fully cover the demolition of the current Sharbot Lake High School, but even so, if they follow the PARC recommendation the board will need to find $2.47 million for the project, and if they follow the senior staff recommendation it will cost them $2.36 million.

Operating costs are also comparable under the two models.

One advantage to the senior staff proposal would be that the cost of upgrading the older schools to current standards, which is on the school board’s ledger with the province, would be greatly diminished because the schools would be closed.

But these monies, which are called RECAPP costs in the educational jargon, have no effect on the annual budget of the school board.

The senior staff report has been posted on the board website, Limestone.on.ca, under the Accommodation banner.

The report will be considered by the Parent Council at Land O'Lakes Public School, and Jamie Riddell said he is hoping council will encourage community members in Mountain Grove and the surrounding region to attend the March 1 meeting. 

 

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