Heather Latter
A survey to gauge parents’ interest in a Catholic high school here was launched Thursday at a Catholic Secondary Schools Feasibility parent meeting at St. Francis School.
Hosted by the Northwest Catholic District School Board, a similar meeting also was held in Dryden the previous night as the feasibility of introducing a Catholic high school in both communities is being investigated.
“What we’re hoping to get out of this is to present some information; to get some feedback from you,” noted director of education Rick Boisvert, who led the meeting, which attracted about 20 people.
“We want parents to be able to make an informed decision,” he added, noting the board has set out to inform parents about Catholic secondary education in a number of ways—one being last Thursday night’s information session.
It also has published four information brochures, designed to share with parents and the community, on:
•highlighting the provincial history of Catholic secondary school programming;
•a current look at Catholic secondary schools;
•Catholic secondary school programming in the northwest; and
•what Catholic secondary programming could look like in the Northwest Catholic District School Board.
Boisvert said the final brochure, which was available on the board’s website Monday, set out to answer some of the questions that previously had been left unanswered.
Last Thursday’s parent meeting also offered a provincial history of Catholic education, a provincial view today, a profile of the current school, and next steps.
In addition, staff, two students, and a school council member from the Kenora Catholic School Board were on hand to share their experience of developing and operating St. Thomas Aquinas High School there.
They spoke to its course offerings, extra-curricular activities, and school life.
Boisvert noted the board passed a motion last March directing senior staff to investigate the feasibility of a Catholic secondary school in Fort Frances, with a report to the board in November.
But the board wanted more information so now senior staff are reaching out to parents.
“We want to know if parents are interested,” Boisvert remarked.
The Expression of Interest survey is available on the board’s website (www.tncdsb.on.ca) and must be completed by May 8.
The questions include the community where your child would attend school, the age of your children who would attend school, and your interest in Catholic secondary school programming.
A family name also is required to be submitted with the survey.
“We want parents to let us know what their interest is,” Boisvert stressed, noting they’ll be able to take that information back to the board.
“If there is interest, we will apply,” he said. “But we don’t know what the ministry response will be.”
Boisvert added the board also don’t know the timelines for approval and completion process at this time.
Another unknown factor is whether parents who are interested actually will send their children there, should a Catholic high school be built, or that people who indicated they weren’t interested won’t change their mind if they see that it’s available.
“The more people we hear from, the clearer picture we will have of the level of interest,” Boisvert reasoned.
He noted the board is looking at moving from feasibility to concept and planning.
“One thing we found along the way is we’re gathering pieces of a puzzle and we’re starting to get a picture,” Boisvert remarked.
“Right now there are more unanswered questions than there are answered questions, but the picture is coming clearer,” he noted.
“There are things we don’t know but we will know as we get more information.”
Boisvert stressed if the board does go ahead with a Catholic high school, it won’t be part of the new consolidated school being planned to amalgamate St. Francis and St. Michael’s here.
“That wasn’t part of our application,” he said. “A secondary school would be a new build.”
Boisvert indicated a Catholic high school would follow the same Ontario curriculum as the public one.
“But what’s different is the way it’s taught, they way it’s learned by students, and they way it’s applied, not only in the school but in their life,” he explained.
Boisvert said the outcome of the survey, as well as a detailed report prepared by senior staff, will be presented to trustees at the board’s next regular board on May 17.
Trustees then will decide of how to proceed.
Anyone with questions is invited to visit the board’s website or call the office at 274-2931.
