Regina Closures

3rd biennial review

Closure List

School Closures – Completed

2008
Herchmer
Stewart Russell
Usher (highschool)

2010
Jenkins

2011
Athabasca

2012

Haultain
Dieppe

Program Closures – Completed

2008

Wilfred Walker English
Wascana French

2011
Massey English

Planned

2013

Martin Collegiate – On hold pending review of highschools. Is being reconfigured as Campus Regina Public.

2014

Imperial and/or McDermid – merger into single school

Coldwell – on watch

2015

McDonald or Coronation Park – Removed from list due to increased projected enrolment

2017

Rosemont or Walker – on watch
Kitchener – on watch

Review of highschools

Highschools on watch:
Martin
Johnson
Sheldon Williams

Biennial Review – Community Response

On Sept. 20, 2011, the Regina Board of Education considered recommendations arising from it biennial review of the 10 Year Plan. Two schools were recommended for closure in June, Haultain and Dieppe. As well, the board considered a motion to delay the dispersal of Athabasca School, so that there would be time to develop a proposal for community re-use of the property.

Representatives of affected school communities made presentations on behalf of their schools. RealRenewal made 19 recommendations in response to the Biennial Review. Rick Hesch made a presentation on the 10 Year Plan in relation to community schooling and First Nations and Metis education.

In the end, the board went ahead with the closure citations and defeated the motion to delay dispersal of Athabasca School.

Below are the presentations.

RealRenewal: Response to the Biennial Review Sept. 2011

RealRenewal: Spoken remarks

Eastview Community Association Presentation (Haultain)

Dieppe School Community Council 2011

Athabasca RPS Board Presentation

Athabasca: Schools as Community Hubs

Community-based Education and Student Achievement – Rick Hesch

Fewer, bigger schools

Under the 10 Year Plan, the trend is toward fewer, bigger schools. The plan projected just 5 schools would have more than 400 students by the end of the 10 year plan, 2 less than when the plan began. Four years later, there were 14 elementary schools projected to exceed 400 students by the end of the 10 Year Plan. The Plan stated there would be no high schools over 1,200. Four years later, that was adjusted to one high school of 1,300 and one high school near the upper limit, at 1,100.

Elementary schools over 400 – Start of 10 Year Plan

10 Year Plan Enrolment Assumptions versus Actual in first year of plan (2008)

6 projected, 7 actual

School	Anticipated at start of 2008-09	Actual 2008-09 enrolment
Braun	498	533
Janzen	445	442
McKenzie	416	412
Hawrylak	542	572
Mironuck	454	549
Massey	401	439
Buck	370 (below)	409

Original projection of schools over 400 by end of Plan (2018)

5 projected over 400, highest enrolment 668

School	2018 Projection
Braun	460
Janzen	439
McKenzie	448
Hawrylak	668
Mironuck	480
Massey	385 (below)
Buck	241 (below)

Most Recent Projections (adjusted in 2011)

14 projected over 400, highest enrolment 923

School	2018 Projection
Braun	509
Buck	493
Janzen	515
Douglas park	522
Hawrylak	923
Massey	549
MacNeill	418
Ready	474
Lee	709
McLurg	498
Milliken	410
Mironuck	545
McLurg	498
Perry	410

Capital Construction

The 10 Year Plan was accompanied by an ambitious capital plan to build larger merged schools (see p. 34 of the plan). RealRenewal argued that the cost estimates and timelines were unrealistic. This has proven to be so.

Two schools mentioned in the 10 year plan have been constructed. However, they were both announced and planned in advance of the 10 year plan, so were not considered to be replacements for the schools that are being closed. As for the new schools that were to arise from the ashes of school closures only one, Seven Stones (formerly Wascana-Herchmer), is under construction as of 2013.

The capital costs for the 2 new schools:

Douglas Park School (new school)

Originally scheduled to open in 2009, opened in Sept. 2012.

Estimated cost in 2007: $8.05 million.
Source: 10 Year Plan p. 34 (Capital Renewal Strategy)

Estimate in 2011: $17.3 million
Source: Enterprise Sask. list of construction projects

Final tab in 2012: $19.6 million
Source: Government of Saskatchewan

Arcola School (replacement of an existing school)

Originally scheduled to open in 2010, grand opening was January 2013 (but I believe the students moved over in November 2012).

Estimate in 2007: $8.05 million.
Source: 10 Year Plan p. 34 (Capital Renewal Strategy)

Estimate in 2011: $15.3 million
Source: Enterprise Sask. list of construction projects

Final tab in 2012 $19.2 million
Source: Government of Saskatchewan

Seven Stones Community School – The first of the replacement schools, intended to take in the students of Herchmer School, closed in 2008, and Wascana School. Right now the students are combined in Wascana-Herchmer, which will close when Seven Stones opens. It is still under construction.

Originally scheduled to open in 2011-12. Is currently under construction.

Estimate in 2007: $8.05 million
Source: 10 Year Plan p. 34 (Capital Renewal Strategy)

2012 estimate: $15 million
Source: Reed Construction News

No final price tag available yet.

Plan revisited

Did you ever wonder what a 10-Year Plan would look like if the Regina Board of Education had listened to parents in the beginning? University of Dalhousie policy researcher Kathleen Donovan analyzed parent comments appended to the back of school board’s 2007 Phase One report.

Donovan’s analysis found that items such as special needs and after school programs were frequently cited as areas needing improvement. Curriculum relevancy, more classroom resources and smaller class sizes also were major concerns. Significantly, parents did not ask for bigger schools or new construction – although this is the only concept that was returned to them for consideration in the next round of consultations.

The report is a helpful guide for parent adovates who want to unearth their original road map. It provides a vision of schools that are deeply integrated in their surrounding communities, and an education system that emphasizes fairness, inclusion and improved academic standards.

Donovan Report

Report slams closures

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Saskatchewan has released a report on Regina’s school closure plan, in light of changes to the education tax system. The report finds students and communities will not be better served by tax changes if the board remains fixated on its plan to close schools in low income and inner city neighbourhoods.

Author Tricia Bakken presents several arguments for retaining the city’s core area schools, including “the better learning outcomes associated with smaller schools, the inconsistency of small school closure with the Regina Public School Board commitments, and the further marginalization of Aboriginal people in Regina.”

Full report: Will The New Property Tax System Save Our Neighbourhood Schools?