IB-only school doesn’t solve enrolment woes

On Tuesday, Feb. 24 staff offered additional scenarios at the second public consultation meeting designed to determine the best way to improve program viability at Colonel By, Gloucester and Rideau high schools.

Earlier this month, board staff originally proposed closing one of the three schools and redirecting students – a move at least one accommodation review committee (ARC) member suggested was too narrow.

In response to concerns, staff brought forward five new options. Two of the scenarios recommend turning Colonel By into an IB-only school and redirecting students to either Gloucester or Rideau.

The scenario that redirects non-IB students to Rideau sees that school hovering at a 70 per cent utilization rate while Gloucester’s enrolment drops below 50 per cent. Colonel By, meanwhile, would see its numbers decline to just over 60 per cent.

The figures aren’t much better if non-IB students are shuffled to Gloucester instead. Board staff estimate enrolment at Rideau would dip below 50 per cent while Gloucester would be around 60 per cent capacity.

Current projections peg Colonel By over capacity while both Rideau and Gloucester are below 45 per cent capacity by 2013.

Staff noted that, among other drawbacks, enrolment at the school that doesn’t benefit from redirected students remains low.

Other new options brought to the table borrow from the Catholic board’s model and recommend turning either Rideau or Gloucester into a Grade 7-12 structure. Both options impact enrolment figures at the middle schools and, according to board staff, could make it necessary to undertake an accommodation review of those sites.

The options briefly presented left members of the public mumbling in frustration before they broke into small discussion groups. The sense of frustration is something Beacon Hill North Community Association president Tim Tierney says he’s been hearing from his community as well. He suggests people feel there’s still a lot of data missing from the studies, including the impact a Colonel By closure could have on the IB program. In an attempt to determine what parents are thinking, the community association is surveying all those affiliated with Colonel By. The seven question survey can be found at www.bhnca.com/survey. The next ARC public consultation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on March 10 at the Rideau High School Library.