Parents are upset with a recent choice made to send kids from Waterford Public School to Boston and Bloomsburg in order to reduce the school population.
That full story can be found here.
We reached out to the school board for comment, and were able to speak with Jack Ammendolia who is the Managing Partner at Watson and Associates who worked closely with this boundary review.
He confirmed that sending students to a new school was not option 1, but something they were left to do.
From there, multiple options and maps were drawn up looking at ways to approach the situation.
A lot of the complaints are coming from those in the Yin subdivision, a walking distance away from Waterford Public School, and why they would need to go to a new location despite their proximity.
And while some families are not happy with the move, Ammendolia said it’s hard to find a solution that will make everyone happy while also addressing the problem.
That is why it was important for them to hear from parents during the review process.
Dave Smouter, Manager of Communication and Community Relations said that moving forward – the families will be working closely with the school board to make the transition as easy as possible.
Below is the written response from the school board regarding our questions.
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Why did this boundary review take place?
Grand Erie submitted requests to the Ministry for an addition at Waterford Public School on two separate occasions, once in 2021 and again in 2022, that were denied because of the excess capacity at nearby elementary schools. Now, the only way to relieve capacity pressures at Waterford Public School is to adjust student catchment boundaries. Waterford Public School is currently overcapacity and is using seven portable classrooms to accommodate enrolment. Projections show that continued residential development within the town is expected to bring additional students in the coming years. We needed to relieve the immediate pressures at the school and to respond to anticipated growth.
We want to provide the best learning and school experience we can for students, and a crowded school can bring issues that detract from that experience.
Can you explain some of the changes happening this coming September and how those decisions were made?
A Boundary Review Special Ad Hoc Committee, including School Council representatives and school administrators led the process, which included multiple meetings and various opportunities for public input. The Committee’s mandate revolved around addressing the capacity issues in a way that minimized disruptions for students and families. Two public meetings were held to present the situation and the possibilities to members of the impacted school communities. The recommendations were informed by the capacity pressures, under-utilized space, public input and population growth data.
The Committee’s recommended boundary changes in the Waterford area best serve the goal of balancing all the inputs received while minimizing impacts, with the objective to significantly and immediately reduce enrolment at Waterford Public School. Other strategies were considered, but the final changes were recommended as they offered the most immediate impact, positioned the school to accommodate future growth, and minimized disruption for families as much as possible within that context.
These changes also put Grand Erie in the best position to pursue future capital allocations from the Province.
Some parents are concerned about their kids needing to go to a different school on bus when they are within walking distance – anything specific you would say to those concerned individuals?
Given the significant student population reduction necessary, and the associated contraction of the Waterford Public School attendance area, the end result is that some students could be re-directed to a more distant school and that some re-directed students could reside closer to Waterford Public School than other students who live within the Waterford catchment area. The Committee acknowledged and considered this while looking at potential boundary adjustments, but ultimately decided on recommendations that had the most immediate and necessary impact on the capacity at the school.
We know change is difficult, and that there are some families who are not looking forward to this change. Each school will be working to make this transition as easy as possible for the families involved, and to make the re-directed students feel welcome in their new school. As we balance enrolment across the schools in the area, we will be better able to support learning, well-being and belonging.
