Waterdown Temporary Accommodation Strategy
The Waterdown Temporary Accommodation Strategy is an amendment to the Flamborough Centre and Mary Hopkins Accommodation Strategy. As a result of public input, HWDSB Board of Trustees passed a motion to include five area elementary schools in the review - Mary Hopkins, Flamborough Centre, Balaclava, Guy B. Brown, and Allan A. Greenleaf - that allows for implementation beginning in September of 2024.
You can find the slides from the public meeting on January 22nd under "Important Documents" on this page. There you will see the scenarios that were presented. Please have a look and consider giving us your feedback below. We can accept feedback until January 31st.
*Update: A document addressing Frequently Asked Questions has been added under "Important Documents".
What is an accommodation strategy?
An accommodation strategy is a temporary, short-term solution to address enrolment pressures at one school. This solution involves assigning students from a particular area to another school to assist with the enrolment pressures. HWDSB will communicate the accommodation strategy using the boundary review process.
More information about accommodations and boundary reviews (including the Policy and Procedure) can be found here: Boundary Reviews | Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (hwdsb.on.ca)(External link)
Waterdown Temporary Accommodation Strategy
This review will consider five schools in the Waterdown area, including: Mary Hopkins, Flamborough Centre, Balaclava, Guy B. Brown, and Allan A. Greenleaf Elementary Schools. The purpose of the review is to alleviate enrolment pressure at Mary Hopkins which currently has a high enrolment and is anticipated to increase further due to a large residential development in east Waterdown (Mountainview Heights), south of Highway 5.
HWDSB has applied to the Ministry of Education for the construction of a new school and is awaiting approval (decision anticipated early 2024). Until a new school is constructed, staff recommend an accommodation strategy between the schools in the Waterdown area to better balance enrolments. Details about the proposed solutions are forthcoming.
The details of the original proposed solution can be found here: Flamborough Centre and Mary Hopkins Accommodation Strategy | Engage HWDSB
We want to hear from you
We recognize that accommodation strategies can have a large impact on families. You are invited to share your input regarding this review through one of the tools below or at the Public Meeting (details below).
Public Meeting
January 22, 2023
6:00 PM
Waterdown District High School, Cafeteria
15 Parkside Dr, Waterdown, ON L8B 1B9
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The plan
In the meeting can some of the schools come off the list ?in all your scenarios Guy Brown seems over enrolment and negatively impacted, can you use Balaklava more ?in all your scenarios they’re under
4 months ago
I would suggest dividing the schools evenly and take a a survey at schools/send home to get numbers and then decide how to split.
Collect numbers
4 months ago
French Immersion (FI) Student impact
Moving FI (gr5-8) from FC will negatively impact students socially. The incoming gr5s will be losing friends from the years below since many of the classes have been split. The plan to move to GB also separates them from their friends from the English stream. Not only have these students endured far too much online learning and social impact from the pandemic, this plan effectively punishes them again by forcing them into a new school away from all their friends. If gr5-8 are going to FC, that should include BOTH FI and Eng from MH. Keep the students together. Also, we already have a terrible bussing situation with lack of drivers. Having a gr5-8 FI from MH/FC move to GB will add an even more logistical nightmare for bussing. It would be expected that these students would be bussed and now will be creating even more delays which causes a disruption and late start for these students who have already endured enough. Keeping both Eng & FI at FC would make busing easier to manage & create the routes.
3 months ago
All new English students south of HWY 5 are directed to both Allan A Greenleaf and Guy B Brown
Why? It Limits transportation. Changes are minimized across the HWDSB system, for example; existing students/families remain rooted, new students attend schools in close proximity to home, both these schools have city water, modern grid. The guiding principles used in the existing analysis are not equally weighted. Having an underutilized classroom is not equal to adding emotional distress to families by changing their children’s schools and disrupting their routines and established support systems.
4 months ago
Another Option: Split the boundary line south of Dundas between schools so we share the impact.
All of the options 1-6 impact one school over others in a significant way. Why do we need to consider all students in that boundary line? Why can't we share the boundary between schools - splitting the temporary boundary -into two zones - Hamilton to Burke and Burke to Kerr. I would really like to see how the numbers play out in this option.
Who's Listening
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Superintendent of Student Achievement
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Manager, Planning, Accommodation and Rentals
EWEmail planning@hwdsb.on.ca -
Senior Planner, Planning, Accommodation and Rentals
Email planning@hwdsb.on.ca
