CAPITAL PLAN Approved: September 27, 2016
Revised: February 11, 2020
Table of Contents Executive Summary ...... 2 Near North District School Board Boundary ...... 4 Demographic Analysis ...... 5 Our Community Partners ...... 9 Student Enrolment ...... 11 Facilities...... 12 Grade Configuration and Programs ...... 16 Facility Condition ...... 17 School Capacity Utilization ...... 18 Excess Capacity by School Configuration ...... 19 Establishing Geographic Planning Areas ...... 20 Funding ...... 22 North Bay Planning Area ...... 24 School Enrollment ...... 26 Planning Area Observations ...... 27 Possible Future Options ...... 27 Almaguin Highlands Planning Area ...... 28 School Enrollment ...... 30 Planning Area Observations ...... 30 Possible Future Options ...... 30 Mattawa Planning Area ...... 31 School Enrollment ...... 33 Planning Area Observations ...... 33 Possible Future Options ...... 33 West Nipissing Planning Area ...... 34 School Enrollment ...... 36 Possible Future Options ...... 36 Parry Sound Planning Area ...... 37 School Enrollment ...... 39 Planning Area Observations ...... 39 Possible Future Options ...... 39 Inventory of Non-School Properties ...... 40 Glossary of Terms ...... 41
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Executive Summary The Near North District School Board (NNDSB) is located in North East Ontario and encompasses the Districts of Nipissing and Parry Sound. The NNDSB currently operates 28 elementary schools, 7 secondary schools, and an Adult and Continuing Education Centre within its jurisdiction. Shifts in school-age population, escalating operating costs, prohibitive building renewal costs, aging buildings, and demands for relevant programming topped by changes to the capital funding model, have caused school boards to re-examine their long-term capital priorities. The Ministry of Education, through the School Board Efficiencies and Modernization Initiative-Consultation Summary (2014) has identified effective utilization of schools as an area of Capital Planning focus.
Not unlike many other Boards in the Province, the NNDSB is experiencing declining enrollment. “The number of school aged children in Ontario has been decreasing in recent years, and enrollment is declining in 53 of 72 school boards.”1 In the NNDSB, secondary facilities are continuing to experience a decline in student enrollment, although the decline is not as steep as it has been in recent years, and is actually projected to level off in the foreseeable future. The projected decline in the elementary panel is now more significant than that of secondary, although both panels will see overall declines by the year 2028. Total enrollment for the 2018-2019 academic year is; 6,797 elementary students, with 3,161 secondary students, for a total number of 9,958 students in the Board. For the purpose of this Capital Plan, enrollment includes all students of the Board including students attending our schools through education service agreements.
The NNDSB is an English language public school board that also provides, French Immersion and Extended French as well as Native Language programs in some elementary and secondary schools. Secondary Schools also offer a diverse range of Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) courses. In addition, the Board provides alternative, adult and community-based programs. Due to declining enrollment, secondary schools throughout the board have found it increasingly difficult to continue offering the wide range of programming that had been offered in the past. A potential benefit of having larger schools with larger staffs is that more diverse programming could be offered to students.
The Capital Plan provides background information regarding right-sizing our board, by comparing student spaces against projected enrollment data. Currently, the Board has 5,455 surplus spaces and the utilization rate is 64.6% based on the 2018-2019 enrollment. Additionally, the Capital Plan will provide a picture of areas within the Board that are experiencing enrollment growth and decline. The Plan also includes enrollment projections, school renewal needs, school utilization, possible building consolidations and future recommendations for construction of new facilities and additions and/or renovations to existing facilities.
Based on the data, the Capital Plan will, “forecast where new schools or additions may be needed; which schools will remain well utilized into the future; which open and operating schools may have unused space; and which schools may be candidates for consolidation or closure.”2 As part of the planning process, this information will also assist in identifying facilities that may be suitable for facility partnerships with respect to new construction and unused space in schools.
Currently, the NNDSB operates 28 elementary schools. The Board has recently completed two projects that have resulted in decreasing surplus spaces in an effort to right-size the Board. In 2016-2017, the Board consolidated three elementary schools (Dr. MacDougall Public School, King George Public School, and J.W. Trusler Public School) and opened the new Woodland Public School in the same catchment area.
In the 2017-2018 school year, the previously configured Grade 5 to 8 Land of Lakes Public School re-opened as a JK to Grade 8 (and Extended French) school, and M.A. Wittick Public School closed permanently. This brought the number of operating elementary schools to 28 and reduced surplus spaces by 351.
Nobel Public School, McDougall Public School and the Parry Sound High School completed an ARC process in 2013 and are slated to close, with a new build on the Parry Sound High School Site. Backlogs in site selection, and a request for a
1 Ministry of Education, School Board Efficiencies and Modernization, 2014 2 Community Planning & Partnerships Guidelines, 2015 2 | P a g e change in project scope had resulted in this project being stalled. The Ministry has advised the Board that they must not deviate from the original request (JK-12 build), therefore plans are underway to continue with this project. Board staff have submitted the space template and are developing the scope of work for Ministry approval. A Request for Proposal for architectural services will follow. The new school is slated to open in the 2022-2023 school year.
Most recently, the Board of Trustees initiated an accommodation review for schools in the North Bay Planning area, including E.T. Carmichael, E.W. Norman, and W.J. Fricker elementary schools, and Chippewa, West Ferris, and Widdifield secondary schools. This was in response to the Initial Staff Report which was informed by the last Capital Plan (revised September 28, 2016). On June 27, 2017, the Board passed the following motions:
North Bay Planning Area Accommodation Review
17-06-14 That the Near North District School Board consolidate the three elementary schools of E.T. Carmichael Public School, E.W. Norman Public School, and W.J. Fricker Public School into a new Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 build on the W.J. Fricker site located at 790 Norman Avenue in North Bay.
17-06-15 That the Near North District School Board defer the secondary accommodation review matter involving Chippewa Secondary School, West Ferris Secondary School, and Widdifield Secondary School to the Committee of the Whole for further discussion.
The board submitted the Capital Priorities Business Case Submission for the three named elementary schools, to the Ministry of Education on September 8, 2017. On February 1, 2018, the Ministry approved funding for the 3:1 elementary consolidation at the Fricker site.
On September 26, 2017, Trustees passed a motion to consolidate the three North Bay area secondary schools into two, approving Chippewa as the north site and West Ferris as the south site (Widdifield would be closed), at the Public Board Meeting.
The current plan is for W.J. Fricker to close in September 2020, to allow for construction of the new school opening September 2022, with E.T. Carmichael and E.W. Norman set to close in June 2022. Currently, Widdifield will remain open until September 2020, with its students being dispersed between Chippewa Secondary School and West Ferris after it closes.
Once this process is complete the Board will operate 9 JK – 6 schools, 15 JK – 8 schools, 3 Grade 7 – 12 schools, 2 Grade 9 – 12 schools, 1 JK– 12 school, and 1 Alternative/Continuing Education School. Overall, when these three projects are completed, the total number of surplus spaces in the Board will be reduced by 2,380 (from the original 5,455 surplus spaces). This will leave 3,075 surplus spaces remaining (based on the 2023-2024 enrolment numbers)
To accommodate the large geographic area of the board, for Capital Planning purposes, the Board has been divided into five “Planning Areas,” they are as follows;
1) North Bay 2) Almaguin Highlands 3) West Nipissing 4) Mattawa 5) Parry Sound
Each Planning Area includes comparative data on: enrollment, utilization, surplus/deficit spaces, on the ground capacity (OTG), and the condition of each facility. Additionally, observations and recommendations are displayed in each of the Planning Areas.
The Capital Plan is intended to provide the Board with clear data to right-size our system to comply with the funding model and to ensure that students are accommodated in facilities that are safe and healthy, that promote an optimal learning environment and offer optimal programming options. This can be achieved through one of the following end 3 | P a g e points; consolidate to a new build, consolidate to an existing build, consolidate to a renovation, demolition, or partial demolition and partnership.
The Capital Plan is intended to be a “living document” that will be updated as necessary to reflect the changes in data.
Near North District School Board Boundary The following is the legal description of the Near North District School Board’s boundary. The area of jurisdiction of the Near North District School Board consists of, i. the portion of the Territorial District of Parry Sound that is not included in the geographic area of the local municipality of Killarney, ii. the geographic areas of the following local municipalities: Bonfield, Calvin, Chisholm, East Ferris, Kearney, Mattawa, Mattawan, North Bay, Papineau-Cameron and West Nipissing, iii. the Freeman Ward of the local municipality of Georgian Bay, and iv. the following geographic townships in the Territorial District of Nipissing: Blyth, Boyd, Clarkson, Commanda, Deacon, Eddy, French, Jocko, Lauder, Lyman, Merrick, Notman, Pentland, Phelps, Poitras and Wyse. 3
The boundary of the Near North District School Board covers the majority of the Parry Sound and Nipissing Districts, along with a small portion of the Muskoka District. The board’s western boundary is represented by the western border of West Nipissing to the French River. Bordering on Georgian Bay to the west, the board boundary runs east along the southern borders of McMurrich/Monteith, Perry and Kearney around Algonquin Park to the township of Head, Clara and Maria. The east boundary follows the Quebec border along the Ottawa River. The board’s northern boundary runs across numerous unorganized townships south of Temagami. The area the region covers is approximately 17,020 km2, with a perimeter of 958 km.
3 Education Act. Ontario Regulation 486/01 Continuation, Areas of Jurisdiction and Names of District School Boards. 4 | P a g e
Demographic Analysis The Near North Region is comprised of a variety of types of communities. The following chart identifies the various types of communities the Near North District School Board serves based on the 2016 Census.
Parry Sound District Nipissing District First Nation Communities (7) Townships (12) Cities (1) o Dokis 9 o Armour o North Bay o Henvey Inlet 2 o Carling First Nation Reserves (1) o Magnetawan 1 o Joly o Nipissing 10 o Moose Point 79 o Machar Municipalities (1) o Wasauksing First Nation o McKellar o West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest o Shawanaga 17 o McMurrich/Monteith Towns (1) o Nipissing o Mattawa Municipalities (5) o Perry Townships (6) o Callander o Ryerson o Bonfield o Magnetawan o Seguin o Calvin o McDougall o Strong o Chisholm o Powassan o The Archipelago o East Ferris o Whitestone Unorganized Areas (2) o Mattawan Towns (2) o Parry Sound, Unorganized, Centre Part o Papineau-Cameron o Kearney (Britt, Byng Inlet, Mowat, Loring, Unorganized Areas (1) o Parry Sound Port Loring, Arnstein, Golden Valley, o Nipissing, Unorganized, North Part Villages (3) Restoule) (Phelps, Eldee, Thorne, Tilden Lake) o Burk's Falls o Parry Sound, Unorganized, North East Muskoka District o South River Part (Laurier Township) Townships (1) o Sundridge o Georgian Bay
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The population of the communities served by the Near North District School Board continues to age when 2011 Census data is compared to 2016. By 2011 Baby Boomers are captured in the 45-64 age brackets. A smaller cohort of the population is currently passing through their childbearing years resulting in fewer children born than in the past. This reflects the school board’s trend in declining enrollment.
The baby boom echo generation is noticeable within the Population Age Profile and this cohort is in their childbearing years. One could predict an increase in births based on this trend, however recent birth data does not support this prediction.
NNDSB Communities Age Profile
85 years and over
80 to 84 years 75 to 79 years
70 to 74 years
65 to 69 years
60 to 64 years
55 to 59 years
50 to 54 years
45 to 49 years 2016 40 to 44 years 2011 35 to 39 years 2006 30 to 34 years
25 to 29 years
20 to 24 years
15 to 19 years
10 to 14 years
5 to 9 years
0 to 4 years
0 3000 6000 9000 12000
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The School Aged Census Population data only highlights the fact that our district’s school-aged population continues to decline, which will ultimately impact student enrollment. This data supports the recent sharp decline we’ve seen in student enrollment in our secondary panel, and supports the projections of a slower decline in overall student enrollment in years to come.
School Aged Census Population
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0 0 to 4 years 5 to 9 years 10 to 14 years 15 to 19 years 2006 5430 6410 7850 8490 2011 5765 5825 6640 7835
2016 5570 6115 6145 6615
When comparing 2011 Median Age Census data to 2016, all but three communities or 92.7% of the communities within the Near North District School Board median age increased. To further emphasize the trend that the population of our communities are increasing in age, when comparing our communities to the Median Age of the Province of Ontario, four communities are younger than the provincial median in 2016.
Median Age
2006 2011 2016 Ontario 2016 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25
20
Joly
Perry
Calvin
Strong
Seguin
Carling
Dokis 9 Dokis
Machar
Armour
Ryerson
Kearney
Bonfield
Mckellar
Nipissing
Mattawa
Chisholm
Callander
Powassan
NorthBay
Sundridge
EastFerris
Mattawan
Mcdougall
Burk'S Falls Burk'S
South River South
Whitestone
Nipissing 10 Nipissing
Parry Sound Parry
Magnetawan
Georgian Bay Georgian
Shawanaga 17 Shawanaga
Magnetewan 1 Magnetewan
French River13 French
The Archipelago The
Papineau-Cameron
Mcmurrich/Monteith
Parry Island First Nation First Island Parry
West Nipissing / Nipissing / Ouest Nipissing West
Parry Sound, Unorganized, North… Unorganized, Sound, Parry Nipissing, Unorganized, North Part North Nipissing,Unorganized,
Parry Sound, Unorganized, Centre Part Centre Unorganized, Sound, Parry 7 | P a g e
The populations of communities served within the boundary of the Near North District School vary from under 100 people in First Nation Communities to the City of North Bay with 51, 553 people. The three largest communities are North Bay, West Nipissing and Parry Sound. The ten largest Census Subdivisions represented over 75% of the population across the Near North District in the 2016 Census.
Largest Census Subdivisions Based on Population: 1. North Bay 4. East Ferris 7. Powassan 9. Georgian Bay 2. West Nipissing 5. Seguin 8. McDougall 10. Perry 3. Parry Sound 6. Callander
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The Ontario Ministry of Finance generates long term population projections for the province and its 49 census divisions. The Near North District School Board serves all of the Parry Sound census division and most of the Nipissing census division with the exception of the Nipissing Unorganized South area which covers Algonquin Park and some surrounding unorganized townships. The current Ontario population projections are based on the 2016 Census and run from 2017 to 2041. Upon review of projected population for the next 10 years, from 2019 to 2028 of Parry Sound and Nipissing census divisions, there is a decline in population amongst three of four groups for both the Parry Sound and Nipissing Districts. It is important to consider the population size of the age group when considering percentage increase or decrease. For example, the 15-19 age group has a projected decrease of 5.36% from 2019 to 2028 in the Parry Sound district, which only represents an additional 109 children.
District of Parry Sound and Nipissing, 10 Year Population Projection by School Age Group from 2019 to 2028
2.22% 1.58%
0-4 -2.20%5-9 10-14 - 2.07% -1.49%15-19 -3.51% -5.36%
Population change Population -7.75%
Nipissing Parry Sound
*Source: Ontario Ministry of Finance population projections. Our Community Partners In 2016, members of the Near North District School Board’s Capital Planning Team visited most of the municipal partners at their local offices. The purpose of these visits was to: begin to build relationships with community partners, share the upcoming Capital Planning process, inquire as to future and long-term residential and economic development that could potentially affect the school’s enrollment over the long term, and begin to explore the possibility of developing suitable partnerships with communities.
In the 2018-2019 school year, the Capital Planning Team reached out to the same municipal partners to see if any of the information from 2016 had changed. Almost every municipal partner responded, but much of the information remained similar to that discovered in 2016.
For the purpose of Capital Planning, the Near North District School Board can be characterized by describing its layout as; one main City (North Bay); the Town of Parry Sound, the West Nipissing Area (similar in size to Parry Sound with a much broader layout), the Town of Mattawa to the east, and several small communities comprised of Towns, Villages, Municipalities and Townships along the southern and western corridors of the board. It is not unusual to have a single small elementary school represented by two or even three different townships and one town or village, while for instance the City of North Bay represented several schools that are located within the city limits. Despite the perceived disparity in representation, what the team found everywhere they went, were a number of common themes.
At every municipal meeting and instance of subsequent feedback it was clearly stated that the schools were the lifeblood of every community, and that schools are necessary for communities to grow. This was especially evident and shared as a concern in the smaller communities. In the feedback from the Township of Strong, it was mentioned that
9 | P a g e residents were happy that the Grade 7 and 8 students were “coming home” after the reorganization of Land of Lakes from an Intermediate school to a JK – 8 school. There are strong feelings of wanting students in a community to go to school in that community. Residents want schools with programs that are authentic and relevant, and access to medical services and recreation programs in their communities. Some communities had their recreational and municipal buildings clustered together, often at one location. It was not unusual to see the Municipal Offices on the same property as the Community Centre/Hall, the Outdoor (partially covered) rink, a Fire Hall, Public Library, Seniors Centre and sometimes a Nursing Station. Schools in these communities were often located close by and were able to use the recreational facilities year-round during the school day.
Overall growth in communities is slow and steady, however, the growth has been in the group of the population that are now retired. Based on the 2016 Census, the population is growing with seniors and the median age is steadily increasing. Most communities in our district boast a median age above 50. The need for assisted living and affordable seniors’ housing, access to medical centres and being in close proximity to a hospital are on the minds of residents and municipalities as they decide what is most important for them to have in the community where they live. Seniors’ housing expansion is on the rise in several communities including the Algonquin Nursing Home in Mattawa with 73 beds, and the development of the Almaguin Manor (a 32-unit facility) in the former M.A. Wittick Public School in Burk’s Falls. Meeting the needs of an aging population will continue to be a focus in all areas across the district.
Many communities across the district swell in size during the summer months, (up to triple the population). This is especially true along the shorelines of major waterbodies of townships and municipalities. These seasonal residents contribute to local tax bases. This swell is also becoming more prominent at other times of the year as there is growing popularity in multi-use recreational trails (ATV and snowmobile), therefore tourism and recreation are having a positive impact on the local economy. There continues to be a growing trend as these cottagers retire, for these cottages to be converted into permanent residences. This has increased the number of building permits as well as the population in these areas, also bringing additional stimulus to the local economy. A recent phenomenon that has also contributed to the increase in building permits is the “Muskoka Wave” that is moving just north of the Hunstville area (Burk’s Falls and Sundridge). A more affordable cost of living is drawing some residents north of Muskoka, also resulting in an increase in building permits in that area.
In terms of economic development, the region continues to boast some businesses that manufacture items that are shipped around the world (e.g., Lofthouse in Burk’s Falls, and Gincor in Mattawa). Although companies like these are growing, there continues to be difficulty finding skilled labour for these jobs. Another area that has seen growth is in the film industry. Northern Ontario Heritage Fund dollars have been flowing into our region, benefitting several communities. This has resulted in a small increase in local businesses and has influenced the employment rate not only in North Bay, but in some surrounding areas.
Although areas like recreation and tourism and the film industry have had a positive impact on our district, we still face many challenges. Broadband internet continues to be a challenge for many communities and many feel that this is a barrier for the creation of new businesses and the operation of existing ones. Improvements in this area have been slow and limited to specific regions. Another barrier to economic development in the district (particularly outside of North Bay), is the fact that many businesses in outlying areas cannot compete with the tax and cash incentives offered by the City of North Bay (i.e. through the City’s Economic Development department and Invest North Bay). And although unemployment in many outlying regions remains high, many municipalities report difficulty finding skilled labour (i.e. welders, etc.), as mentioned above.
From an economic standpoint, although communities are each unique and offer some positives in this narrative, there is no significant economic development on the horizon that could potentially affect future additional enrolment at our schools. In fact, our enrolment data supports the fact that there are simply less prosperous conditions for work and opportunity throughout remote regions. This coupled with an aging population, presents clear challenges as we endeavour to deal with excess capacity in our schools in an effort to right-size the Board’s capital footprint.
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Student Enrolment Over the past 10 years, overall board enrollment has decreased from year to year, with the exception of 2014 to 2015 where enrollment increased by 67 students. From a high in 2009 of 11,310 students to a current enrollment in 2018 of 9,958, over a 10-year period, enrollment decreased by 11.9%. Recent trends indicate that enrollment decline has slowed as compared to trends in the past and will be consistent. Over the next 10 years, enrollment is projected to drop by 1,132 students or 11.36% to the 2028-29 school year.
10 Year Historic and 10 Year Projected Enrollment 12,000 Actual Projected
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
The board’s enrollment projections are completed on an annual basis. Projected enrollment values represent the foundation for budgets and staffing levels one year in advance. Projected values up to three years in advance are provided to the Ministry of Education on an annual basis. Projections are calculated using a four-year weighted average at the grade and school level along with local information. Beyond three years in advance, enrollment projections represent a forecast for planning purposes and accuracy decreases as the number of years in advance increase.
10 Year Historic and 10 Year Projected Enrollment by Panel 8,000 Elementary Secondary 7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 School Year - 2019 to 2028 are Projected When reviewing the enrollment by panel, it is evident that the steady decline in secondary enrollment is inconsistent with the pattern of stable elementary enrollment, which has ranged from 6819 at its peak in 2015, to 6,634 in 2013, which is only 185 students. In fact, in the past 3 years, enrollment in the elementary panel has actually increased. This is not the case in terms of future enrollment projections as it looks like the elementary panel will see steady decreases 11 | P a g e to just over 6,000 in 2028. In terms of future enrollment projections in the secondary panel, they will be relatively stable for the foreseeable future, perhaps as a result of stable or even higher numbers in the elementary panel in recent years.
Facilities As of the 2018-2019 school year, there are 36 facilities active with programs for students delivered within these schools. The combined Gross Floor Area of all schools is 163,606.8 square meters, or 1.7 million square feet. Based on the Ministry of Education’s On the Ground Capacity (OTG) definition, the 36 active schools are able to host 15,413 students. The current list of Renewal Needs, the cost of repairs necessary to keep schools operational, totals $105.1 million.
School Age as of 2019
Over 75 Years Old 3 61 to 75 Years Old 5 46 to 60 Years Old 17 31 to 45 Years Old 2 16 to 30 Years Old 5 15 Years or Less 4
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
The average age of Near North District School Board schools is just over 50 years old. The bulk of the school inventory, 17 of 36 schools, fall within the 46 to 60 year-old range, meaning they were built between 1955 and 1969 as a reflection of the Baby Boom era. The age of schools was calculated based on a weighted average method that incorporates additions or demolitions to buildings and the Gross Floor Area of the renovation and the original build.
With the bulk of the Near North District School Board schools being in the 46 to 60 year-old range, we can expect that a significant portion of the Gross Floor Area of these schools fall into this range was well. 47% of the gross floor area is represented by schools 46 to 60 years old.
Gross floor area is an important measurement when considering the costs associated with maintenance, operations and capital. The majority of school board funding is based on a per pupil allocation not on a per square foot basis.
Gross Floor Area (m2) of Schools by Age
Over 75 Years Old 9,778 15 Years or Less 14,202
16 to 30 Years Old 17,037 61 to 75 Years Old 37,024 31 to 45 Years Old 5,639
46 to 60 Years Old 75,000
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To quantify the capacity of a school in terms of the number of students that can attend the school, the Ministry of Education uses a calculation called On the Ground Capacity (OTG). Representing the permanent structure of a school building, the OTG denotes how many students can be accommodated in the school. The Ministry of Education defines spaces within the buildings as instructional space and assigns how many students can be loaded into these spaces. The loading values vary by panel, Elementary (JK to Grade 8) and Secondary (Grade 9 to 12). The following charts represents how the majority of instructional spaces in schools are loaded by panel.
Instructional Space Type Elementary Loading Secondary Loading Kindergarten Room 26 - Classroom 23 21 Special Education Room 9 9 Resource Room 12 12
A school’s OTG is calculated by adding together the loading of the instructional rooms in the school. The Near North District School Board’s inventory of school’s has a current total OTG of 15,413 pupil places. Over the past several years, the Near North District School Board has completed six Accommodation Reviews resulting in consolidations into new schools and renovated schools, along with boundary revisions for existing schools. The following describes the results of these ARCs:
o 2014-15 opening of the renovated K - 6 Silver Birches Public School as a result of consolidating the students of Tweedsmuir Public School and Marshall Park Public School and closing Silver Birches Intermediate Public School (with the Grade 7 and 8 students attending West Ferris Secondary School). o 2015-16 opening of the new K – 6 Parry Sound Public School as a result of closing Victory Public School, and William Beatty Public School, with the Grade 7 and 8 students attending Parry Sound High School. o 2016-17 opening of the new K – 6 Woodland Public School is a result of consolidating the students of Dr. MacDougall Public School, King George Public School, and a portion of J.W. Trusler Public School with the remaining J.W. Trusler students attending Vincent Massey Public School. o 2017-18 re-opening of a renovated K – 8 Land of Lakes Public School (from a 5-8 school) as a result of closing M.A. Wittick Public School o Estimated September 2020 - the consolidation of the 3 existing North Bay Secondary Schools into 2 (one on the Chippewa site and one on the West Ferris site) o Estimated 2022-23 opening of the new K – 6 W.J. Fricker Public School as a result of closing E.W. Norman Public School and E.T. Carmichael Public School o Estimated 2022-2023 opening of the new Parry Sound JK to Grade 12 school is a result of consolidating the students of Nobel Public School, McDougall Public School and Parry Sound High School.
The three most recent consolidations represent a total reduction in OTG of 2,963 spaces, by bringing the current total OTG of 15,413 spaces to 12,450 spaces board wide.
Reviewing the Surplus or Deficit spaces available at a school is an important indicator to determine the appropriate size of a facility to house the students attending that school. Surplus or Deficit Spaces is determined through subtracting the student enrollment from the OTG of the school.
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Based on the facilities in use, the Near North District School Board currently has 5,455 surplus spaces and is anticipating 3,075 and 3,624 surplus spaces in 2023-24 and 2028-29 respectively. These anticipated surplus spaces are based on the schools currently planned to be open and projected enrollments.
Board Total OTG and Enrollment 16,000
14,000 Surplus: 5455 12,000 Surplus: 3624 10,000 Surplus: 3075
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0 2018-19 2023-24 2028-29
OTG Enrollment
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Surplus or Deficit Student Spaces by School for School Years 2018-19, 2023-24 and 2028-29
Surplus/ Surplus/ Surplus/ Deficit Deficit Deficit OTG Enrollment Spaces OTG Enrollment Spaces OTG Enrollment Spaces School 2018 2018-19 2018-19 2023 2023-24 2023-24 2028 2028-29 2028-29 Alliance 527 606 -79 527 597 -70 527 580 -53 Almaguin Highlands 732 487 245 732 510 222 732 458 274 Argyle 161 62 99 161 55 106 161 53 108 Britt 187 35 152 187 35 152 187 34 153 Chippewa 7-12 1,200 813 387 1,200 1,267 -67 1,200 1,223 -23 E T Carmichael 282 204 78 0 0 0 0 0 0 E W Norman 374 141 233 0 0 0 0 0 0 Evergreen Heights 338 237 101 338 213 125 338 193 145 F J McElligott 7-12 363 151 212 363 130 233 363 98 265 Ferris Glen 338 181 157 338 156 182 338 158 180 Humphrey 305 233 72 305 196 109 305 199 106 Land of Lakes 335 264 71 335 276 59 335 276 59 Laurentian 210 100 110 210 80 130 210 80 130 M T Davidson 314 97 217 314 100 214 314 96 218 MacTier 199 95 104 199 82 117 199 71 128 Magnetawan 101 57 44 101 64 37 101 62 39 Mapleridge 325 235 90 325 233 92 325 229 96 Mattawa 256 142 114 256 102 154 256 96 160 McDougall 302 162 140 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nobel 334 186 148 0 0 0 0 0 0 Northern 630 182 448 630 147 483 630 124 506 Parry Sound 7-12 1,293 796 497 0 0 0 0 0 0 Parry Sound K-12 0 0 0 835 958 -123 835 851 -16 Parry Sound Public 504 405 99 504 434 70 504 403 101 Phelps 207 93 114 207 57 150 207 25 182 Silver Birches 349 238 111 349 174 175 349 175 174 South River 236 192 44 236 154 82 236 138 98 South Shore 245 100 145 245 100 145 245 97 148 Sundridge 282 249 33 282 253 29 282 265 17 Sunset Park 504 447 57 504 421 83 504 403 101 Vincent Massey 386 385 1 386 429 -43 386 415 -29 W J Fricker 357 221 136 0 0 0 0 0 0 W J Fricker - New Build 0 0 0 308 335 -27 308 341 -33 West Ferris 7-12 1,099 797 302 1,099 1,182 -83 1,099 1,080 19 White Woods 305 259 46 305 228 77 305 196 109 Whitestone Lake 153 39 114 153 27 126 153 30 123 Widdifield 1,164 649 515 0 0 0 0 0 0 Woodland 516 418 98 516 380 136 516 377 139 Board Total 15,413 9,958 5,455 12,450 9,375 3,075 12,450 8,826 3,624
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Grade Configuration and Programs Schools within the Near North District School Board operate under a variety of grade configurations. Changing grade configurations of schools has been a strategy used in multiple Accommodation Review solutions. The most common change has been the move from a traditional grade 9 to 12 secondary school to a grade 7 to 12 school. The majority of elementary schools operate under a JK to grade 6 or JK to grade 8 model. Intermediate schools have slowly been reconfigured with two grade 5 to 8 schools currently in operation. As of 2016-17, only one grade 5 to 8 school is in operation, as Land of Lakes was renovated to accommodate a JK to grade 8 structure. The boards first JK to grade 12 school is estimated to open in 2022-2023 in Parry Sound.
Number of Schools by Grade Configuration
Grade 5 to 8 1 JK to Grade 6 10 JK to Grade 8 17 Grade 7 to 12 4 Grade 9 to 12 4
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Multiple programs are offered across Near North District School Board schools including:
o Extended French: from Grade 5 to Grade 12, o French Immersion: from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, o Regular Program: from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, and o System Special Education Programs: from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12.
Number of Schools by Programs Offered Regular, French Immersion, Extended French 2 Regular, Extended French, Special Education, Alternative 1 Regular, Special Education 3 Regular, French Immersion, Special Education 2 Regular, Extended French, Special Education 2 Regular, Extended French, French Immersion, Special Education 2 Regular, Extended French 3 Regular 19 French Immersion 1 Alternative 1
0 5 10 15 20 At the secondary level, more specialized programs are also offered including:
o Various Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM): Grade 11 to 12, o Alternative Program: from Grade 9 to 12, o International Baccalaureate, o STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), and o Arts Nipissing.
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Facility Condition The Ontario Ministry of Education has tasked VFA Canada, a company specializing in facility assessment services, with assessing the conditions of all schools. Facility Condition Assessment reports completed by VFA capture the condition of system components in a school building. Systems include architectural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing elements of a building. The components of these elements are inspected and assessed to identify the remaining service life to determine when a component’s life cycle will be completed and replacement necessary. This process determines when components of a school building will require replacement and the estimated costs associated with that replacement. These replacement costs represent the renewal needs of the building.
Condition Assessment Reports and an inventory of renewal needs by school year are stored in a database called TCPS that VFA Canada hosts and Near North District School Board maintains as renewal projects are completed. VFA assesses schools on a 5-year cycle. Many schools have been reassessed since 2016. Events are removed from the inventory on an annual basis as renewal projects are completed. Renewal needs are rolled forward from year to year in the database if they are not addressed to create a backlog of renewal needs. As of 2018-19, the Near North District School Board has $105,164,069 in renewal needs spread across its facilities for a five-year period.
School Renewal Needs from 2018-19 to 2022-23
Alliance $1,544,723 Laurentian $1,981,530 Silver Birches $697,017 Almaguin $0 MacTier $525,267 South River $1,725,796 Argyle $1,611,528 Magnetawan $836,152 South Shore $268,983 Britt $491,712 Mapleridge $1,207,908 Sundridge $1,029,700 Chippewa $12,716,938 Mattawa $2,121,065 Sunset Park $1,329,620 ET Carmichael $3,110,403 McDougall $1,301,971 Vincent Massey $1,191,042 Evergreen $975,692 MT Davidson $616,765 West Ferris $12,715,721 EW Norman $3,397,383 Nobel $2,451,217 White Woods $354,778 Ferris Glen $879,060 Northern $4,358,541 Whitestone $692,620 FJ McElligott $2,080,328 Parry Sound HS $18,931,486 Widdifield $15,490,659 Humphrey $1,321,556 Parry Sound PS $0 WJ Fricker $5,191,925 Land of Lakes $133,450 Phelps $1,881,533 Woodland $0
For the purposes of planning, the inventory of renewal needs 5 years out are referenced in this report. This value is the cost to keep a building open in terms of replacing or repairing the components of a school with 5 or fewer years remaining service years including the renewal needs rolled forward from past years. To put the renewal needs of the building into perspective, a Facility Condition Index (FCI) is calculated to compare the renewal needs of the building to the replacement cost of the building having the Renewal Needs same OTG capacity. The replacement cost is calculated based on the Ministry of FCI % = Education’s current standards for building schools. Replacement Cost
Replacement Cost is calculated by multiplying:
OTG x Area (m2) required per student x New Construction Benchmark per m2 x Geographic Area Factor
The Facility Condition Index (FCI) represents a tool for identifying the relative condition of a building with respect to its size. The higher the percentage FCI, the worse the condition of the building based on its renewal needs. When reviewing school’s FCI rating, it’s important to remember that the FCI does not include items such as: asbestos abatement, accessibility needs, air condition, safe schools’ initiatives, requirements due to upgrades to the building code or program needs.
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School Facility Condition Index (FCI)
Alliance 12.4% Laurentian 23.4% Silver Birches 7.2% Almaguin 0.0% MacTier 18.1% South River 24.8% Argyle 30.5% Magnetawan 24.9% South Shore 16.4% Britt 9.5% Mapleridge 17.4% Sundridge 16.7% Chippewa 38.6% Mattawa 30.5% Sunset Park 10.8% ET Carmichael 41.0% McDougall 18.3% Vincent Massey 12.1% Evergreen 12.5% MT Davidson 8.4% West Ferris 41.7% EW Norman 35.7% Nobel 36.4% White Woods 6.2% Ferris Glen 15.4% Northern 14.8% Whitestone 13.8% FJ McElligott 20.0% Parry Sound HS 54.5% Widdifield 41.6% Humphrey 18.7% Parry Sound PS 0.0% WJ Fricker 55.0% Land of Lakes 3.9% Phelps 22.6% Woodland 0.0%
Current FCI and 5 Year Renewal Needs by School $20 60% $18 $16 50% $14 40% $12 $10 30% $8 $6 20% $4 10% $2
$0 0%
Renewal Renewal Needs inMillions
FacilityCondition Index
Britt
Nobel
Argyle
Phelps
Alliance
MacTier
Mattawa
Northern
Almaguin
Chippewa
Sundridge
Evergreen
Widdifield
WJFricker
Woodland
Humphrey
McDougall
Laurentian
FerrisGlen
West Ferris West
Mapleridge
South River South
Whitestone
Sunset Park Sunset
EW Norman EW
South Shore South
FJ McElligott FJ
MTDavidson
Magnetawan
Silver Birches Silver
Land of Land Lakes
White Woods White
ET Carmichael ET
Parry Sound PS Sound Parry
Parry Sound HS Sound Parry VincentMassey
Renewal Needs FCI
School Capacity Utilization A key indicator of use of space within schools is the School Capacity Utilization rate which calculates the enrollment as a percentage of the On the Ground Capacity. On the Ground capacity does not include portables. School Capacity Utilization is a true reflection of how many students occupy the spaces available in a school. As of the 2014-15 school year, the Enrollment Ministry of Education revised its grant structure in terms of Utilization Rate % = financial supports for underutilized schools and began the process On the Ground Capacity to reduce the funds to support underutilized schools.
The Near North District Schools Board’s schools are operating at 64.6% utilization based on the 2018-19 enrollment. The Ministry of Education defines underutilized schools as those with a utilization rate of 60% or less. Based on their Facility Partnership Guideline, the Ministry of Education encourages partnerships with underutilized schools. The Near North District School Board currently has 16 schools underutilized. Based on enrollment projections, there will be 13 schools under 60% utilization in 2023-24.
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School Capacity Utilization Based on 2023-24 Enrollment Projection 120.0% 100.0% 80.0% 60.0% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0%
Excess Capacity by School Configuration When reviewing the excess capacity by schools’ grade configurations, identifying areas of priority with respect to the secondary schools becomes evident. By the year 2023-24, just over 40% of the excess capacity within Near North District schools will be in schools currently configured as grade 7 to 12, or grade 9 to 12. The opening of the new Parry Sound JK to grade 12 facility, will result in the right sizing of facilities in the Parry Sound area. The following chart displays the proportion of excess capacity by grade configuration.
Excess Capacity Spaces by Grade Configuration for 2023-24
7 to 12 11% JK to 8 34%
9 to 12 32%
JK to 6 23%
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Establishing Geographic Planning Areas Based on the larger population areas and their distance from each other, the district could be divided into five geographical planning areas to analyze the capacity of schools within the Near North District School Board. Some of these regions already fall into current family of school’s regions which is defined by the catchment areas of the feeder elementary schools, such as the Almaguin Highlands and Parry Sound areas. The family of school’s approach is not feasible for the North Bay area due to the close proximity of the schools. West Nipissing represents the second largest community from a population perspective, and Mattawa is a significant distance from other larger populations.
The following table describes the number of surplus pupil spaces by planning area projected for 2023-24.
PLANNING AREA SURPLUS SPACES ALMAGUIN 897 MATTAWA 387 NORTH BAY 780 PARRY SOUND 451 WEST NIPISSING 560 TOTAL 3,075
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Based on the projected surplus spaces, the following chart indicates the number of surplus spaces projected in 2023-24 by planning area.
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Funding The Ministry of Education provides most of its funding through a series of grants, called Grants for Student Needs (GSNs), with funding based on a per pupil method. Since funding is based on enrolment, having facilities with surplus space makes it difficult for boards to operate and maintain its facilities in an economically feasible way. The Ministry has a Geographic Circumstances Grant that is intended to support the higher costs associated with the remoteness of rural boards and schools. This grant is made up of the following allocations: remote and rural, supported schools, Rural and Northern Education Fund.
The Remote and Rural allocation provides funding to boards with enrolment of less than 16, 000 students, boards that are distant from large urban centers, and boards whose schools are far from board offices and one another.
The Supported School’s allocation helps make small, remote schools more viable by providing additional funding for teachers and in some cases, early childhood educators. A school’s eligibility is based on distance to the board’s closest school of the same type (e.g., elementary to elementary, and secondary to secondary) with funding varying based on school enrolment.
The Rural and Northern Education Fund (RNEF) allocation provides funding to school boards to further improve education for students in rural and Northern communities through support for additional operating expenses, enhanced student transportation options, and improved programming or staff supports. Funding to boards is allocated on the number of rural students in the board, and the density of rural students in the board. It first came into effect partway through the 2017-2018 school year. The 2018-2019 allocation for the Near North District School Board was $477,126.00.
Schools that qualify for this funding are ones in which at least half of the students are from rural communities. The list of schools in a board that qualify for this funding can be modified through a board motion to include schools that are:
• the last ones in the community served by the board; • schools that are in communities with no other public services (such as a hospital or a library); • schools are remote from other schools and the board has determined that it is an unreasonable distance to travel to another school should that school close, and; • schools where it has been determined that rural students make up a large portion of the student population.4
The following schools were eligible for RNEF funding in 2018-2019:
Almaguin Highlands Secondary School Argyle Public School Britt Public School Ferris Glen Public School Evergreen Heights Education Centre F.J. McElligott Intermediate and Secondary School Humphrey Central Public School Land of Lakes Public School MacTier Public School Magnetawan Central Public School Mapleridge Public School Mattawa District Public School McDougall Public School
4 Ontario Ministry of Education, 2018-2019 Education Funding – A Guide to the Grants for Student Needs 22 | P a g e
M.T. Davidson Public School Nobel Public School Northern Secondary School Parry Sound Intermediate and Secondary School Parry Sound Public School Phelps Central Public School South River Public School South Shore Education Centre Sundridge Centennial Public School White Woods Public School Whitestone Lake Central Public School
In 2015-2016, the Ministry of Education broadened the School Board. Efficiencies and Modernization initiative with further measure to encourage the management of underutilized schools, while monitoring support for the schools that need it most, and measures to update and modernize the funding formula. These changes as a whole, will continue to encourage boards to focus on using education resources and facilities to support students rather than supporting school space that may be surplus to students’ education needs.5
Starting in the year 2015-2016, a new funding model was phased in over a three-year period achieving full implementation in the year 2017-2018. This change in funding significantly impacted the Near North District School Board. After full phase in, the loss was $1,777,205.00, which represented a decrease in 48% of Top-up Allocation for School Operations. As a result of the new model, allocations for specific schools were either eliminated completely, reduced, or in some cases, increased. Schools with an increase in Top-up funding were as a result of the Enhanced Top- up funding for isolated schools. The criteria for determining isolated schools include:
• Any elementary school facility that is at least 10km away from the next closest school facility (elementary or secondary) of the board will qualify for Enhanced Top-up funding. • Any secondary school facility that is at least 20km away from the next closest secondary school facility of the board will also qualify for Enhanced Top-up funding.
At the same time, the Ministry began phasing out the use of some of the current criteria used to determine eligibility for Enhanced Top-up funding. These criteria are: (1) a school facility that is part of a “supported” school, or (2) a school facility meets one of the two criteria that qualify it as “rural”. These criteria are either that the second character of the facility’s postal code is zero (0), or that the school facility is listed as a rural school in a table in the Grants for Student Needs (GSN) regulation. All other existing eligibility criteria for enhanced Top-up remain in place5
As a result of the reduction Base Top-up funding, the Ministry of Education has increased their benchmark costs used for calculating operating and renewal funds on a per pupil basis. The benchmark “increases reflect increases in utility costs and renewal for schools above and under 20 years of age. This reinvestment is intended to redirect funding from underutilized space to serve pupils in all schools across the province”
These funding allocation changes and others listed under the School Board Efficiencies and Modernization strategy represent incentives for school boards to right-size their facilities by reducing the surplus space in schools that do not fit the criteria of isolated schools. The new funding model directs funding based on schools that are either fully utilized or isolated.
5 Ontario Ministry of Education, Memorandum 2015-B07, Grants for Student Needs Funding for 2015-2016 23 | P a g e
North Bay Planning Area Surplus/Deficit
Enrollment Spaces Utilization Rate
19 24 29 19 24 29 19 24 29
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Needs
2018 2023 2028 2018 2023 2028 2018 2023 2028
Index(FCI)
Capacity(OTG)
Onthe Ground 5 Year 5 Renewal
School Grades Programs Condition Facility Alliance JK to 6 French Immersion 527 12% 606 597 580 -79 -70 -53 115% 113% 110% $1,544,723 Regular, French Immersion, Chippewa 7-12 7 to 12 Special Education 1,200 39% 813 958 913 387 242 287 68% 80% 76% $12,716,938 E T Carmichael JK to 6 Regular 282 41% 204 0 0 78 0 0 72% 0% 0% $3,110,403 E W Norman JK to 6 Regular 374 36% 141 0 0 233 0 0 38% 0% 0% $3,397,383 Ferris Glen JK to 6 Regular 338 15% 181 156 158 157 182 180 54% 46% 47% $879,060 Laurentian 9 to 12 Alternative 210 23% 100 80 80 110 130 130 48% 38% 38% $1,981,530 M T Davidson JK to 8 Regular 314 8% 97 100 96 217 214 218 31% 32% 31% $616,765 Phelps JK to 8 Regular 207 23% 93 57 25 114 150 182 45% 28% 12% $1,881,533 Silver Birches JK to 6 Regular, Special Education 349 7% 238 174 175 111 175 174 68% 50% 50% $697,017 Regular, French Immersion, Sunset Park JK to 6 Special Education 504 11% 447 421 403 57 83 101 89% 84% 80% $1,329,620 Vincent Massey JK to 6 Regular 386 12% 385 429 415 1 -43 -29 100% 111% 108% $1,191,042 W J Fricker 5 to 8 Regular, Extended French 357 55% 221 0 0 136 0 0 62% 0% 0% $5,191,925 W J Fricker - New Build JK to 6 Regular, Extended French 308 0% 0 335 341 0 -27 -33 0% 109% 111% $0
Regular, Extended French, French Immersion, Special West Ferris 7-12 7 to 12 Education 1,099 42% 797 1,027 924 302 72 175 73% 93% 84% $12,715,721 Widdifield 9 to 12 Regular, Special Education 1,164 42% 649 0 0 515 0 0 56% 0% 0% $15,490,659 Woodland JK to 6 Regular, Special Education 516 0% 418 380 377 98 136 139 81% 74% 73% $0 Planning Area Total: 8,135 5,390 5,178 4,953 2,437 780 1,005 66% 64% 61% $62,744,319
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School Enrollment Current Enrollment Projected Enrollment School Capacity 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29 Alliance 527 606 614 617 615 611 597 605 598 592 586 580 Chippewa 7-12 1200 813 759 1060 1244 1250 1267 1266 1291 1267 1262 1223 E T Carmichael 282 204 197 189 ------E W Norman 374 141 131 125 ------Ferris Glen 338 181 176 172 165 162 156 155 148 152 154 158 Laurentian 210 100 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 M T Davidson 314 97 103 104 100 102 100 100 101 98 100 96 Phelps 207 93 86 80 68 65 57 45 41 28 25 25 Silver Birches 349 238 230 219 197 185 174 177 176 175 175 175 Sunset Park 504 447 444 445 435 430 421 423 405 404 403 403 Vincent Massey 386 385 410 404 416 416 429 428 444 419 415 415 W J Fricker 357 221 213 252 ------W J Fricker - New Build 308 - - - 353 346 335 349 350 344 342 341 West Ferris 7-12 1099 797 853 1063 1122 1153 1182 1166 1168 1154 1104 1080 Widdifield 1164 649 519 ------Woodland 516 418 415 390 386 380 380 377 377 377 377 377
Total Enrollment 5,390 5,230 5,200 5,181 5,180 5,178 5,171 5,179 5,090 5,023 4,953 Total Utilization 69% 67% 78% 87% 87% 87% 87% 87% 85% 84% 83%
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Planning Area Observations 9000 • Enrollment pressure at Alliance is increasing due to growth of French 8000 Immersion program. Accommodation needs have been temporarily 7000 satisfied with six portables. Traffic congestion and parking issues 6000 remain a concern. The FCI is 12%. 5000 • Sunset Park’s enrollment remains stable and has an FCI of 11%. 4000 • Vincent Massey has increasing enrollment and has an FCI of 12%. 3000 • M.T. Davidson and Ferris Glen have an FCI of 8% and 15% respectively, 2000 however their declining populations are of concern. 1000 • Silver Birches, Phelps, and Woodland have relatively significant 0 surplus spaces available.
Possible Future Options Enrollment Capacity • Replace portables at an over utilized North Bay Planning Area school with permanent construction and enhancements to parking and traffic infrastructure. • Monitor enrollment at underutilized schools for possible consolidation • Monitor for potential enrollment pressures at schools approaching capacity and explore boundary changes to take advantage of underutilized neighbouring schools. Consider the benefits of single track vs. dual track schools and whether we should house single track students at one site. • Explore partnership and other opportunities for underutilized schools. • Continue to maintain communication with community partners to explore opportunities for childcare and Ontario EarlyON Child and Family Centres.
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Almaguin Highlands Planning Area
Surplus/Deficit
Enrollment Spaces Utilization Rate
19 24 29 19 24 29 19 24 29
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Ground Ground
Needs
2018 2023 2028 2018 2023 2028 2018 2023 2028
Index (FCI) Index
On the the On (OTG) Capacity 5 Year Renewal Renewal 5 Year
School Grades Programs Condition Facility Almaguin Regular, Extended French, Highlands 9 to 12 Special Education 732 0% 487 510 458 245 222 274 67% 70% 63% $0 Argyle JK to 8 Regular 161 31% 62 55 53 99 106 108 39% 34% 33% $1,611,528 Evergreen Heights JK to 8 Regular 338 13% 237 213 193 101 125 145 70% 63% 57% $975,692 Regular, Extended French, Land of Lakes JK to 8 Special Education 335 4% 264 276 276 71 59 59 79% 82% 82% $133,450 Magnetawan JK to 8 Regular 101 25% 57 64 62 44 37 39 56% 63% 61% $836,152 Mapleridge JK to 8 Regular 325 17% 235 233 229 90 92 96 72% 72% 70% $1,207,908 South River JK to 8 Regular 236 25% 192 154 138 44 82 98 81% 65% 58% $1,725,796 South Shore JK to 8 Regular 245 16% 100 100 97 145 145 148 41% 41% 40% $268,983 Sundridge JK to 8 Regular 282 17% 249 253 265 33 29 17 88% 90% 94% $1,029,700 Planning Area Total: 2,755 1883 1858 1771 872 897 984 68% 67% 64% $7,789,209
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School Enrollment Current Enrollment Projected Enrollment School Capacity 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29 Almaguin Highlands 732 487 478 481 528 512 510 491 472 449 453 458 Argyle 161 62 60 61 61 59 55 56 55 54 59 53 Evergreen Heights 338 237 234 231 225 217 213 212 207 203 193 193 Land of Lakes 335 264 265 268 267 272 276 274 274 276 276 276 Magnetawan 101 57 60 58 61 62 64 63 65 62 64 62 Mapleridge 325 235 236 240 240 238 233 230 226 233 230 229 South River 236 192 189 177 170 157 154 151 151 148 140 138 South Shore 245 100 96 93 98 97 100 98 98 102 97 97 Sundridge 282 249 254 254 249 253 253 260 258 265 264 265
Total Enrollment 1,883 1,872 1,863 1,899 1,867 1,858 1,835 1,806 1,792 1,776 1,771 Total Utilization 68% 68% 68% 69% 68% 67% 67% 66% 65% 64% 64%
Planning Area Observations 3000 • Five of nine schools in Almaguin Highlands area are at 70% or under in terms of 2500 utilization. 2000 • Almaguin Highlands, Mapleridge, Evergreen Heights, Land of Lakes, South Shore and 1500 Sundridge have an FCI of under 25%. 1000 • Argyle, Magnetawan, and South River have an FCI of over 25%. 500 • Future declining population at South River is a concern. 0 • Low utilization at South Shore, Almaguin Highlands, and Argyle is a concern. Possible Future Options • Complete an accommodation review of underutilized elementary and secondary Enrollment Capacity schools, including the completion of a business case to consolidate with a new addition to accommodate JK to grade 12 with childcare and an Ontario EarlyON Child and Family Centre. • Monitor enrollment at underutilized schools for possible consolidation. • Explore community partnerships and other opportunities for rural underutilized schools to create innovative learning spaces.
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Mattawa Planning Area Surplus/Deficit
Enrollment Spaces Utilization Rate
19 24 29 19 24 29 19 24 29
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Needs
2018 2023 2028 2018 2023 2028 2018 2023 2028
Index (FCI) Index
On the Ground Ground the On (OTG) Capacity 5 Year Renewal Renewal 5 Year
School Grades Programs Condition Facility Regular, French Immersion, Extended F J McElligott 7-12 7 to 12 French 363 20% 151 130 98 212 233 265 42% 36% 27% $2,080,328 Regular, French Immersion, Extended Mattawa JK to 6 French 256 31% 142 102 96 114 154 160 55% 40% 38% $2,121,065 Planning Area Total: 619 293 232 194 326 387 425 47% 37% 31% $4,201,393
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School Enrollment
Current Enrollment Projected Enrollment School Capacity 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29 F J McElligott 7-12 363 151 132 137 138 121 130 122 116 108 99 98 Mattawa 256 142 137 124 114 114 102 101 101 98 97 96
Total Enrollment 293 269 261 252 235 232 223 217 206 196 194 Total Utilization 47% 43% 42% 41% 38% 37% 36% 35% 33% 32% 31%
Planning Area Observations • Enrollment at both Mattawa and F.J. McElligott are slowly decreasing. • F.J. McElligott is an aging building that has over 2 million dollars in 700 renewal needs over the next 5 years. 600 • Mattawa also has over 2 million dollars in renewal needs over the next 5 years. 500 400 Possible Future Options • Continue to revisit partnership opportunities with community partners 300 and co-terminus school boards to share facilities in Mattawa. 200 • Complete an accommodation review for Mattawa Planning Area 100 schools including the development of a business case for the consolidation of the current schools to a new build of one JK to grade 0 12 school with childcare and an Ontario EarlyON Child and Family Centre. • Consider the possibility of Mattawa secondary students attending a Enrollment Capacity North Bay planning area school.
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West Nipissing Planning Area
Surplus/Deficit
Enrollment Spaces Utilization Rate
19 24 29 19 24 29 19 24 29
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Needs
2018 2023 2028 2018 2023 2028 2018 2023 2028
Index (FCI) Index
On the Ground Ground the On (OTG) Capacity 5 Year Renewal Renewal 5 Year School Grades Programs Condition Facility Northern 9 to 12 Regular, Extended French 630 15% 182 147 124 448 483 506 29% 23% 20% $4,358,541 White Woods JK to 8 Regular, Extended French 305 6% 259 228 196 46 77 109 85% 75% 64% $354,778 Planning Area Total: 935 441 375 320 494 560 615 47% 40% 34% $4,713,319
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School Enrollment
Current Enrollment Projected Enrollment School Capacity 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29 Northern 630 182 163 156 148 148 147 165 159 147 140 124 White Woods 305 259 255 261 251 237 228 215 211 200 199 196
Total Enrollment 441 418 417 399 385 375 380 370 347 339 320 Total Utilization 47% 45% 45% 43% 41% 40% 41% 40% 37% 36% 34%
Planning Area Observations 1000 900 • Northern’s decreasing enrollment and utilization at 29% is of 800 significant concern. 700
• Utilization at White Woods is projected to fall below 80% in five years. 600 Possible Future Options 500 400 • Consider extending program offerings at both schools to attract more 300 students 200 • Monitor enrollment at underutilized schools for possible 100 consolidation. 0 • Consider the possibility of West Nipissing secondary students attending a North Bay planning area school.
Enrollment Capacity
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Parry Sound Planning Area Surplus/Deficit
Enrollment Spaces Utilization Rate
19 24 29
192 243 294 193 244 295
- - -
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Ground Ground
Needs
2018 2023 2028
2018 2023 2028 2018 2023 2028
Index (FCI) Index
On the the On (OTG) Capacity 5 Year Renewal Renewal 5 Year
School Grades Programs Condition Facility Britt JK to 8 Regular 187 10% 35 35 34 152 152 153 19% 19% 18% $0 Humphrey JK to 8 Regular 305 19% 233 196 199 72 109 106 76% 64% 65% $1,191,042 MacTier JK to 8 Regular 199 18% 95 82 71 104 117 128 48% 41% 36% $5,191,925 McDougall JK to 8 Regular 302 18% 162 0 0 140 0 0 54% 0% 0% $0 Nobel JK to 8 Regular 334 36% 186 0 0 148 0 0 56% 0% 0% $0 Regular, Extended French, Parry Sound 7-12 7 to 12 Special Education, Alternative 1,293 55% 796 0 0 497 0 0 62% 0% 0% $12,715,721 Regular, Extended French, Parry Sound K-12 JK to 12 Special Education, Alternative 835 0% 0 958 851 0 -123 -16 0% 115% 102% $12,715,721 Parry Sound Regular, Extended French, Public JK to 6 Special Education 504 0% 405 434 403 99 70 101 80% 86% 80% $354,778 Whitestone Lake JK to 8 Regular 153 14% 39 27 30 114 126 123 25% 18% 20% $692,620 Planning Area Total: 4,112 1,951 1,732 1,588 1,326 451 595 60% 79% 73% $32,861,807
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School Enrollment Current Enrollment Projected Enrollment School Capacity 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29 Britt 187 35 34 37 36 35 35 34 34 34 35 34 Humphrey 305 233 213 217 210 205 196 195 192 198 198 199 MacTier 199 95 93 88 87 84 82 80 76 73 71 71 McDougall 302 162 151 137 127 ------Nobel 334 186 188 199 198 ------Parry Sound 7-12 1,293 796 779 789 732 ------Parry Sound K-12 835 - - - - 959 958 943 923 896 869 851 Parry Sound Public 504 405 399 380 381 456 433 412 407 403 402 403 Whitestone Lake 153 39 37 34 34 31 27 28 29 29 30 30
Total Enrollment 1,951 1,894 1,881 1,805 1,770 1,731 1,692 1,661 1,633 1,605 1,588 Total Utilization 60% 58% 57% 55% 81% 79% 78% 76% 75% 74% 73%
Planning Area Observations 3500 • Significant underutilization at Britt and Whitestone is a concern. 3000
• Most students are Britt are tuition paying. 2500 • Humphrey’s enrollment is stable. • MacTier’s utilization of under 50% is of concern. 2000 1500 Possible Future Options • Explore partnerships for underutilized schools. 1000 • Monitor MacTier in preparation for replacement in the future. 500 • Consider using underutilized spaces to accommodate administrative 0 staff and centralized services. • Consider how Britt can best meet the needs of the community it serves.
Enrollment Capacity
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Inventory of Non-School Properties The Near North District School Board has a few properties that are not being used for school facilities.
38 Joseph Street – Parry Sound
• Located adjacent to Parry Sound High School property. • Currently leased to Community Living Parry Sound.
111 Lavase Road – North Bay
• Former Trout Mills Public School. • Currently used as Maintenance Shop for five staff serving schools in the north portion of the school board. • Size: 1.55 acres.
963 Airport Road – North Bay
• Former Vincent Massey Public School • Currently used as Board Office. • Size: 3.1 acres.
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Glossary of Terms Accommodation Review Any review of a school or group of schools where accommodation issues have been identified. Accommodation issues may arise from enrollment pressures, excess pupil spaces, building condition concerns, program changes or changing demographics.
Average Daily Enrollment (ADE) The calculation of the number of students enrolled in a school based on two count dates within the academic year; October 31st and March 31st. The ADE total is calculated by averaging these two full-time equivalent enrollments, which is meant to capture the second semester decline in enrollment as a result of students who graduated at the end of the first semester.
Baby Boom Generation People born during the period 1946 to 1965, marked by a significant increase in the number of births.
Baby Boom Echo Generation Children of the baby boom generation.
Boundary Review A review undertaken to alter the existing boundary of a school or group of schools. A boundary review may apply in an area with a new school opening, or in areas where enrollment distribution does not efficiently utilize available capacity.
Capacity (Surplus/Deficit) Surplus or deficit spaces are determined through subtracting the student enrollment from the OTG of the school.
Construction Benchmark
The ministry’s set rate for new construction costs for elementary and secondary schools calculated per square foot/metre.
Elementary Panel The elementary panel is junior kindergarten to grade 8.
Enhanced Top-Up Funding Enhanced Top-Up Funding is support to operate and maintain schools that are isolated from other schools in the same board (Isolate Schools). Eligibility for enhanced top-up funding is based on distance criteria. Any elementary school that is at least 10 km away from the next closest facility (elementary or secondary), and any secondary school that is at least 20 km away from the next closest secondary facility will qualify. Base and Rural Top-Up (based on “0” Postal Codes) funding will be phased-out when the new funding reforms are in full implementation in 2017-2018.
Extended French Extended French programs begin in Grade 5. French is the language of instruction for a minimum of 25% in each grade. Extended French programs include the study of French as a second language and the study of at least one other subject taught in French.
French Immersion French Immersion programs are offered to students in JK-12. French is the language of instruction for a minimum of 50% in each grade.
Facility Condition Index (FCI) A ratio used to measure the relative condition of a building taking into account all building systems. It is calculated by dividing the 5-year renewal costs for the building by the asset replacement value.
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Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) The Head Count enrollment adjusted to take into account part-time students.
Geographic Adjustment Factor (GAF) Geographic Adjustment Factor recognizes differences in construction costs across the province.
Gross Floor Area (GFA) The total constructed area of a building.
Grants for Student Needs (GSN) Funding generated on a per pupil basis.
Median Age Median age is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups - half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population.
On The Ground Capacity (OTG) The rated capacity for a facility (number of students the permanent structure can accommodate) as indicated on the Ministry of Education’s School Facilities Inventory System. Depending on the type of room, the space will have a different loading (i.e., elementary classrooms load at 23 pupil places). Loading values can range anywhere between 9 and 26. This value represents the defined instructional space and does not take in to account common areas such as: a library, gym, hallways, custodial space, administrative areas etc. Portables are not included in the OTG calculation.
Operating Costs These encompass all of the expenditures required to operate and maintain the school including heating, lighting, cleaning, and routine maintenance.
Remote and Rural Allocation This allocation provides funding to boards with enrolment of less than 16, 000 students, boards that are distant from large urban centers, and boards whose schools are far from board offices and one another.
Renewal Needs Facility condition assessments are conducted to determine the condition of system components of each facility. Systems include architectural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing elements of a building. This process determines when components of a school building will require replacement and the estimated costs associated with that replacement. These replacement costs represent the renewal needs of the building. For planning purposes, Renewal Needs were calculated based on the backlog of current renewal events in addition to the events listed for the years 2016-17 to 2020- 21. Published Renewal Needs by the Ministry of Education have reflected the renewal events listed from 2011 to 2015 multiplied by a Statistics Canada factor for inflation.
Rural and Northern Education Fund (RNEF) The Rural and Northern Education Fund allocation provides funding for school boards to further improve education for students in rural and Northern communities through support for additional operating expenses, enhanced student transportation options, and improved programming or staff supports.
School Facility Inventory System (SFIS) School Facility Inventory System (SFIS) is a web-based database containing facility-related data for all schools in Ontario.
Secondary Panel The secondary panel is grade 9 to 12.
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Specialist High Skill Majors (SHSM) An SHSM is a ministry-approved specialized program that allows students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector while meeting the requirements to graduate from secondary school. It also assists in their transition after graduation to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace.
Supplementary Area Factor (SAF) Supplementary Area Factor is the per pupil space configuration.
Supported Schools The supported school’s allocation helps make small, remote schools more viable by providing additional funding for teachers and, in some cases, early childhood education. A school’s eligibility is based on distance to the board’s closest school of the same type (that is, elementary to elementary and secondary to secondary) with funding varying based on school enrolment.
System Special Education Programs The board provides the option of system classes for special education students who are referred through an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) process.
Utilization Rates The measurement of the physical use of the permanent school facility based on the comparison of enrollment to the on the ground capacity (OTG).
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