Conseil scolaire catholique Providence school boundary option 2. (Photo via Conseil scolaire catholique Providence)Conseil scolaire catholique Providence school boundary option 2. (Photo via Conseil scolaire catholique Providence)
Chatham

Last call to voice concerns over CK school boundary review

Parents have one last chance to address the local French Catholic School Board about proposed changes to five schools in Chatham-Kent.

Conseil scolaire catholique Providence is reviewing some school boundaries to improve student catchment areas and transportation routes and address flat student enrollment.

A virtual community consultation will be held on Thursday evening beginning at 7 p.m. It's the last of three public consultations since the end of January to address École élémentaire catholique Saint-Francis in Tilbury, École élémentaire catholique Saint-Philippe in Grande Pointe, École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Catherine in Pain Court, École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Marie in Chatham, and École secondaire catholique de Pain Court.

The schools are all part of the review to better align programs and areas to use schools more effectively long-term, and address parental concerns about unnecessary transportation and program delivery, according to the School Board.

The Board previously noted that parents at École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Marie have voiced their concerns several times in the past about about their children coming from Sainte-Marie in Chatham and having to transition to a new school twice; once, to Sainte-Catherine in in Pain Court for Grades 7-8, and a second time to École secondaire de Pain Court in Grade 9.

The proposal suggested that all Grade 7 and 8 students from École élémentaire catholique Saint Francis, École élémentaire catholique Saint Phillipe, and École élémentaire catholique Sainte Catherine would be relocated to École Secondaire Catholique de Pain Court for September 2024 (extended date) and eight additional portable classrooms would be added to the high school to accommodate the extra 500 students.

Under the proposal, the existing École élémentaire catholique Sainte Marie boundary would also expand to include the area north of Highway 401 and east of Chatham for grades Maternelle 6. The area currently attends École élémentaire catholique Sainte Catherine for grades Maternelle 8. The boundaries for École élémentaire catholique Saint Francis and École élémentaire catholique Saint Phillipe would remain unchanged except for the relocation of the Grade 7 and 8 students to École Secondaire Catholique de Pain Court.

The Chatham-Kent Boundary Review is expected to be completed by early this spring and the Final Report is anticipated to go before the Board of Trustees in April.

Click here to register for the meeting. The Board's Director of Communications Lyne Cossette said those interested in the meeting can enter a name and an email address once they click on the link. When the name and email address is submitted, a link to the session will be sent to provided email address.

Cossette said the first two consultations had a "very good parent and community presence."

"At this time, the board has received and adopted the Initial Boundary Review report - this has mandated the CKBRC (boundary review committee) to move ahead with the consultations. While the options presented in the report have not been modified at this time, the implementation timeline of any board resolution has been changed to September 2024 (originally slated as September 2023)," said Cossette.

The School Board website will continue to receive feedback until February 26, 2023 through the ckbrc@cscprovidence.ca email address or via the web form for community input.

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