Sept. 6, 2011 – The board received the Biennial Review plan tonight. Copies were not made available to members of the public during the presentation, which made it difficult to follow the discussion. However, RealRenewal obtained a copy afterwards, which we have now posted on our website.

A few points of note:

Elementary enrolment is continuing to rise.

Dieppe and Haultain schools have been recommended for closure in 2012.

McDonald and Coronation Park have been taken off the closure list.

Martin Collegiate’s planned closure has been put on hold pending a review of all current high schools, in the context of a potential new high school for south east Regina. It was noted that three high schools are “below the confidence band” – Sheldon, Martin and Johnson.

There will be consultations in 2011-2012 to determine the location of a McDermid/Imperial merger. Both schools will stay open pending provincial approval for a redesigned facility (which could be indefinite).

An estimated 63 per cent of the Athabasca students went to Lakeview School, 32 per cent to Argyle.

The maximum acceptable size for an elementary school seems to have crept up to 520 students. Previously the Plan referred to a maximum of 400 elementary students, and 300 in schools that serve at-risk populations. They have likely done this by applying the +or – 30% confidence band to the upper end as well as the lower end of enrolment.

The net operational savings of closing Jenkins and Massey English was estimated at $47,664 in 2010-2011.

Capital requests include land purchase for a high school in Greens on Gardiner subdivision (southeast Regina), an elementary school in The Towns subdivision (east Regina), and Harbour Landing (southwest Regina).

Balfour will be reviewed with a choice of repair or replacement, including potential ‘replacement’ with a high school in south east Regina.

They are looking to replace, not restore, Lakeview School.

A request has been put in for a major upgrade of Connaught.

It should be noted that capital requests to the province are just that – requests. Often they sit on the books for years.

There’s lots more in the report that deserves a careful read. Please have a look yourself, and send us your observations.

Biennial Review 2011 Part One (pdf)

Part 2 (pdf)