Peel DSB 3rd Meeting Press Release

Oct. 28, 2008                                                             
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     

Peel board public meeting asks for input on scenarios for possible school closure                                                                   

On Oct. 29, Peel District School Board will hold the third of four public meetings about possible school consolidation in southeast Mississauga. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School, 1490 Ogden Ave., Mississauga. The four schools in the review area under consideration are Byngmount Beach, Lyndwood and Neil C Matheson public schools and Allan A. Martin Sr. Public School.                            

In consultation with the community, the Accommodation Review Committee has narrowed its options to:

• Create a K-5 school on the Byngmount Beach Public School site, consolidating the students from Byngmount Beach, Lyndwood, and Neil C. Matheson schools, with Allan A. Martin Sr. Public School receiving all students in grades 6-8.                                                   
• Create a K-5 school on the Lyndwood Public School site, consolidating the students from Lyndwood, Byngmount Beach, and Neil C. Matheson schools, with Allan A. Martin Sr. Public School receiving all students in grades 6-8.                                                   

The process began with the school councils at each of the four schools in the review area proposing a variety of scenarios. Members of the public were also invited to submit scenarios. "These final two scenarios represent the options that received the most support from parents, the community and members of the ARC," says Janet McDougald, chair of the Peel board and the trustee representing the four schools. "Either scenario would see the students in kindergarten to grade 5 learning together in a school that's either brand new or significantly renovated. Students in grades 6 to 8 would be together in the middle school setting of Allan A. Martin. The ARC believes the main benefit of either option will be to improve student learning—by bringing students together, a consolidated school can offer a wider range of programs and services."

The consultation process is guided by an Accommodation Review Committee appointed by the board, with representation from parents, school administrators and community residents. Its mandate is to consider a      
variety of options, consult with parents, students, staff and the community and present its findings and recommendations to board for a final decision. The schools will remain unaffected for the 2008-09 school year.

The final public meeting will be held on Nov. 27 and will present the ARC's recommendation to the Peel board. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School, 1490 Ogden Ave., Mississauga.   

The accommodation review process began in March 2008, when the Peel board approved an Accommodation Review Committee to review four schools for potential consolidation.

• Byngmount Beach Public School was selected because its enrolment is  at 37 per cent capacity—the lowest in the Peel board—and its enrolment is  expected to continue to drop over the next decade.                        
• Lyndwood Public School is nearby and its enrolment is 51 per cent capacity, with an expected decline in the next 10 years.                  
• Neil C. Matheson Public School is close to Byngmount Beach and Lyndwood. Its enrolment is not at capacity, and its enrolment is expected  to decline in the next decade.                                            
• Allan A. Martin Senior Public School is the middle school for Neil C. Matheson and it is located near Byngmount Beach and Lyndwood schools.  

Complete background information about the accommodation review process is available at www.peelschools.org in the Spotlight section of the home  page, including the following:

• a map of the review area                                            
• enrolment projections for the next 10 years                         
• census data for the review area                                     
• valuation reports for each of the four schools                      
• agendas and minutes of all meetings                                 
• Peel board and Ministry of Education policies regarding school consolidation     

Media contact: Janet McDougald, Chair, Peel District School Board 905-278-1402, janet.mcdougald@peelsb.com

Reference: Sylvia Link, Manager of Communications, 905-890-1010 ext. 2814 (or 1-800-668-1146) ext. 2814, sylvia.link@peelsb.com