School Closures Recommended In Amherstburg And Leamington

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The Catholic School Board is recommending school closures in both Amherstburg and Leamington.

In Amherstburg, the board says that St. Bernard Catholic Elementary School is significantly underutilized, with 143 surplus pupil spaces.

Board administration recommends the following option be presented to the community for consultation within the accommodation review study:

• Effective September 2016, the St. Bernard Catholic Elementary School Community be consolidated with the Stella Maris Catholic School Community at the Stella Maris site.  The Board apply to the Ministry of Education through the School consolidation Capital (SCC) program, for capital for the construction of an addition to support the consolidation; or if failing to obtain funding, the Board dedicate capital reserves for
  the installation of a port-a-pack at the Stella Maris site.
• That St. Bernard Catholic Elementary School be closed effective June 2016, and be deemed surplus to the Board’s future needs.

In Leamington, the board says that Cardinal Carter Catholic Secondary School and Queen of Peace and St. Louis Catholic elementary schools as being projected to have long-term excess space needs.   They say that all of the three schools currently have 439 total surplus pupil spaces.  Both Cardinal Carter and Queen of Peace are below seventy-five per cent utilization.

Board administration recommends the following option be presented to the community for consultation within the accommodation review study:

• That effective September 2016, Queen of Peace shall become a JK to 6 school, continuing to offer dual track French Immersion, with consolidation of the JK to 6 student population within the current Queen of Peace and St. Louis boundaries being accommodated at the Queen of Peace site.  The Board apply to the Ministry of Education through the School Consolidation Capital (SCC) Program, for funding for the construction of an addition to support the consolidation; or if failing to obtain funding, the Board dedicate capital reserves to the installation of two portables at the Queen of Peace site.
• That effective September 2016, a middle school be established at the Cardinal Carter Catholic Secondary School site, to accommodate the grades 7 and 8 student population within the current Queen of Peace and St. Louis boundaries. The Board apply to the Ministry of Education through the School Consolidation Capital (SCC) Program, for capital for a retrofit at Cardinal Carter to accommodate a middle school; or if failing to obtain funding, the Board dedicate capital reserves to retrofit Cardinal Carter.
• That effective June 2016, St. Louis Catholic Elementary School be closed and deemed surplus to the Board’s future needs.

Should the Board decide to proceed with a modified study of both town’s, board administration says they anticipate a final accommodation decision by the board of Trustees in March 2016.