In accordance with the Ministry of Education, the Northwest Catholic District School Board has prepared a 10-year Capital Grant Plan, including enrolment projections, and was to review the report at its regular meeting Tuesday night.
The purpose of the report is to assist the ministry in projecting facility needs over the next 10 years, as well as to develop a corresponding funding model.
The ministry expects boards with declining enrolment “conduct facility reviews to investigate the possibility of amalgamating schools,” the board’s report notes.
“In our case, where we typically have one school per community, it does not make sense to amalgamate schools,” the report adds.
Only Fort Frances has two Catholic elementary schools—St. Michael’s and St. Francis. But while there is the potential to amalgamate them if necessary, “enrolment during the period of this plan does not indicate such a need.”
Enrolment is expected to decline at all of the board’s schools over the next 10 years, with the exception of Sacred Heart School in Sioux Lookout, which may need the addition of a portable in 2007-08.
Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, the Catholic board was to:
•review its Literacy/Numeracy Secretariat Improvement Board action plan to improve EQAO scores;
•review ongoing activities at the board’s schools during the Lenten season;
•review a list of upcoming activities planned at the board’s schools during Catholic Education Week (April 29-May 5); and
•hear an update from the director’s report on feedback on the board’s decision to phase out its French Immersion program here.
The meeting was slated for 7 p.m. in the board office next to St. Francis School.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
