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Brooklin Regular Track (English) Study
Submit Brooklin Regular Track (English) Boundary Review Feedback
Board of Trustee Approved Motions (December 19, 2022)
At the Regular Board Meeting of Monday, December 19, 2022, the Durham Catholic District School Board of Trustees approved the following motions regarding the consolidation of the Regular (English) Track program in Brooklin:
- That the Durham Catholic District School Board approve the proposed boundary revisions to the Brooklin Regular (English) Track program as outlined in the Recommended Option section (pages 12-14) of the Brooklin Regular (English) Track Study – Final Staff Report, dated December 19, 2022.
- That the Durham Catholic District School Board approve the change in boundary of the Brooklin Regular (English) Track boundary for September 2023.
- That the current Grade 6 and 7 Regular (English) students presently attending St. Leo Catholic School be allowed to graduate from St. Leo subject to sufficient interest and viable class sizes.
The decision was made based on the information and recommendations brought forward by the Brooklin Regular (English) Track Study Committee, which includes community input from three public meetings that took place in November 2022. Input was also received through a dedicated feedback form, phone extension and e-mail address. All feedback and related documents can be viewed on the webpage below.
Thank you to all members of our school community for your cooperation throughout the study. We will continue to work together to ensure a smooth transition for students.
More information about the consolidation of the Brooklin Regular (English) Track program, including transitional activities to support the students and families affected, will be shared in the months ahead.
Brooklin Regular Track (English) Study Information
A study was completed in 2020 to determine where the French Immersion (FI) program should be located in Brooklin. A resolution and recommended option of St. Leo Catholic School for the FI program was identified and approved at the December 14, 2020 Regular Board Meeting. Approved changes were implemented in September 2021, as outlined in the Brooklin French Immersion Study – Final Staff Report.
On January 24, 2022, the Board of Trustees received the Long-Term Accommodation Plan 2022-2026 (LTAP) report and approved the guiding principles and actions to be undertaken. Within the LTAP report, staff were directed to undertake an English boundary review in Brooklin to bring forth recommendations in 2022.
At the September 26, 2022, Regular Board Meeting Trustees approved the proposed boundary revisions to the Brooklin Regular (English) Track Program, which would be effective September 1, 2023. Staff are now beginning consultations with stakeholders and the Brooklin community.
- The recommended change would see the St. Leo Catholic School and St. John Paul II Catholic School Regular (English) Track Program boundaries merge into one, and all students would attend St. John Paul II Catholic School for the Regular (English) Track Program. This would leave St. Leo Catholic School, as a single-track French Immersion school, serving the entire Brooklin Catholic community, with St. John Paul II and St. Bridget Catholic School serving the Regular (English) Track Catholic community.
- The recommended change would be to have the current Grade 6 and 7 Regular (English) Track students continue at St. Leo Catholic School until graduation.
- The recommended change would also annex a small portion of the St. Bridget Catholic School Regular (English) Track boundary into the St. John Paul II Catholic School boundary to provide balance for future Brooklin development.
- Busing implications of the changes would be determined in accordance with the Student Transportation Policy PO429.
Through a series of public meetings, the board will compile considerations and recommendations to bring to a 2022-2023 Regular Board Meeting.
The Durham Catholic District School Board is committed to an open and transparent process that allows for public input through a variety of means. Public meetings have been scheduled on the dates below to present the options under consideration and to offer our parents and guardians the opportunity to ask questions and provide input.
Newsletter for Families
A newsletter for families who will be transitioning from St. Leo Catholic School (English) to St. John Paul II Catholic School in September 2023 has been introduced. Please see the newsletters below:
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| November 8, 2022 | 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
St. Leo Catholic School (Gym) 120 Watford Street, Brooklin |
| November 9, 2022 | 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
Virtual via Zoom Webinar Webinar ID: 990 2542 4445 Passcode: 775554 |
| November 15, 2022 | 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
St. John Paul II Catholic School (Gym) 160 Cachet Boulevard, Brooklin |
Recording of Virtual Public Meeting on November 9, 2022
Questions and Answers
| Why is the boundary change being done now? |
|
The Board’s Long Term Accommodation Plan had identified that the regular (English) track program in Brooklin is under capacity and will continue to be under-enrolled through 2030. This boundary change will help address the capacity issue and will provide balance of enrolment and programming for the Brooklin community, that will position all three schools to be viable through 2030 until future school(s) will need to be considered. |
| Will the Board phase in the boundary change with all students? |
|
The Board is planning to phase in the boundary changes for the Regular English Track students currently in Grades JK-5 for September 2023. All regular (English) track students in Grades 6 & 7 will remain at St. Leo Catholic School until graduation. One exception to the boundary change will be for those students who have applied and are accepted into the Arts and Music Program (AMP) at All Saints Catholic Secondary School for Grade 7; in that case those current Grade 6 & 7 students will attend All Saints Catholic Secondary School. |
| Why can’t the regular (English) track students stay at St. Leo Catholic School? |
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In completing the boundary change for French Immersion in 2020, the Board identified that they would need to also address the regular (English) track program. With growth in the French Immersion (FI) program, the regular (English) track classes at St. Leo Catholic School will be very small and the Board will be faced with all classes being combined. There is sufficient capacity to accommodate all regular (English) track students at St. John Paul II Catholic School for the foreseeable future. |
| Can’t the Board take over the childcare space at St. Leo Catholic School to make more room? |
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The former classroom space was identified for use as a childcare five years ago and the Board received Ministry approval to take the classrooms out of use based on the enrollment at the school. Once a childcare centre was approved by the Region and Ministry, the rooms were extensively renovated and licensed for childcare space. The childcare remains viable and essential to serve the Brooklin community. In converting the rooms into a childcare, the Board cannot easily change them back into teaching spaces at the school |
| Which students will be grand parented at St. Leo Catholic School? |
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The existing Grade 6 and 7 students at St. Leo Catholic School will be allowed to remain until graduation as part of the implementation of the boundary change. It is anticipated that all other students affected by the boundary change will move to St. John Paul II Catholic School for September 2023. |
| What happens to all the things that the Regular English Track program students and parents bought at St. Leo Catholic School? |
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These items would need to be catalogued and a value placed on them to determine how best to support the programming at both schools in order to achieve an equitable redistribution. |
| There is an after-school (YMCA) program at St. Leo Catholic School, what will happen to students who want an after-school program once the boundary changes? |
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Once students have been enrolled at St. John Paul II Catholic School, they will be eligible to enrol in the after-school program located at the school. Both the St. Leo Catholic School and St. John Paul II Catholic School programs are operated by the YMCA. |
| Where will new growth in Brooklin go? |
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The DCDSB has set aside three new elementary school sites in the expanded area of Brooklin. It will be beyond 2030 until the growth requires a new school. Until the new school arrives, a portion of the growth north of Columbus Road will be designated to attend St. John Paul II Catholic School for the Regular English Track, while the balance of the new Regular English Track students will attend St. Bridget Catholic School. All new FI students from the growth areas will be directed to attend St. Leo Catholic School. Portable classrooms to existing schools would be an initial step priority to a new school being awarded by the Ministry of Education. |
| How will students with special needs be supported through the transition? |
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The Board’s philosophy of inclusion makes every effort to fully include all students, regardless of exceptionality, into regular, age-appropriate classrooms. All our teachers share in the responsibility of providing appropriate education for every student in their care. The classroom or subject teacher may access resource staff within the school or draw upon the wider resources of the system as the need arises. The Board supports every school with resources to address each student’s needs and is committed to assisting students with the preparation for, and the adjustment to change as they adapt to a variety of settings to reduce or avoid some of the anxiety that they may experience. The Education Act requires school boards to provide a transition plan for all students on an Individual Education Plan. |
| Will the start times change at St. John Paul II Catholic School? |
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The existing school start times are 8:05 a.m. at St. Leo Catholic School and 8:20 a.m. at St. John Paul II Catholic School and are likely to remain in place without changes. The start times allow Durham Student Transportation Services (DSTS) to pick up students for each school. The bell times are also coordinated with the Durham District School Board’s schools serving Brooklin. |
| What is the transition plan for the students who are moving? |
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The Board will work with the St. Leo Catholic School Regular English Track parents and students to facilitate a smooth transition to the new school. |
| Why is the St. Bridget boundary changing? |
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Given the amount of new development to take place in the Brooklin expansion area, the St. Bridget Catholic School boundary is changing to direct a portion of the growth area into St. John Paul II Catholic School. The impact of the change will reduce the pace of overcrowding at St. Bridget Catholic School. It is anticipated that at least one or more new Catholic elementary schools will have to be built to address all the proposed growth. |
| Will out-of-area requests be considered for any of the schools in Brooklin? |
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The Board considers out-of-area requests to attend schools on an annual basis. All students registering for an out-of-area school through OSAS must apply to the home school first. The principal reviews all out-of-area requests and may approve requests for a number of reasons including the provision of child care. In some cases, overcrowding at a school precludes the ability to accept out-of-area requests. Neither St. Bridget Catholic School nor St. John Paul II Catholic School have restrictions on accepting out-of-area requests. |
| When will these changes be implemented? (e.g., for the 2023/2024 school year? Or later?) |
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If the Board of Trustees approves the boundary changes in December 2022 or January 2023, the boundary changes can take place for September 2023. The Board will consider the grades that will move to St. John Paul II Catholic School, any plans for the grades that will remain at St. Leo Catholic School, and all plans for French Immersion program, JK and SK registration. |
| Why aren’t the English students at St. Leo Catholic School moving to St. Bridget Catholic School rather than St. John Paull II Catholic School? |
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With growth in the Brooklin expansion area over time, the St. Bridget Catholic School population will grow to over 850 students by 2031, far exceeding the school’s capacity. Adding Regular English Track students from St. Leo Catholic School would only accelerate the overcrowding at St. Bridget Catholic School. In the long run, it makes more sense to direct students from St. Leo Catholic School to St. John Paul II Catholic School. |
| Will all English-speaking track students for all of Brooklin be accommodated at two schools? |
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Yes, the proposed boundary/program change would have the Regular (English) Track students accommodated at St. Bridget and St. John Paul II Catholic Schools. |
What Will the Boundary Change Look Like?
- The recommended change would see the St. Leo Catholic School and St. John Paul II Catholic School Regular (English) Track Program boundaries merge into one, and all students would attend St. John Paul II Catholic School for the Regular (English) Track Program. This would leave St. Leo Catholic School, as a single-track French Immersion school, serving the entire Brooklin Catholic community, with St. John Paul II and St. Bridget Catholic School serving the Regular (English) Track Catholic community.
- The recommended change would be to have the current Grade 6 and 7 Regular (English) Track students continue at St. Leo Catholic School until graduation.
- The recommended change would also annex a small portion of the St. Bridget Catholic School Regular (English) Track boundary into the St. John Paul II Catholic School boundary to provide balance for future Brooklin development.
- Busing implications of the changes would be determined in accordance with the Student Transportation Policy PO429.