Administrative Procedure 305: School Enrolment Areas and Boundary Reviews

Legal References

Education Act: Part II School Attendance

Related References

Board Policy 15 Pupil Accommodation Reviews; Administrative Procedure (AP) 302 Student Enrolment; AP 306 Early Learning/Kindergarten Registration; AP 589 Transportation; Bus Planner Maps

1. Purpose

1.1 The Avon Maitland District School Board of Trustees (the “Board”) makes final decisions about the number and kind of schools and the attendance areas for each
school in the district under the terms of Board Policy 15 Pupil Accommodation Reviews. Specifically, these decisions are required as part of the Pupil Accommodation Review process when the impacted students comprise greater than 50% of each origin school(s).

1.2 Board staff can make decisions pertaining to the school attendance area or school boundary outside of the Pupil Accommodation Review process, providing the
impacted students comprise no more than 50% of each origin school(s).

1.3 This Administrative Procedure (AP) is intended to provide guidance on how attendance areas are established, when internal boundary adjustments are
appropriate and when a formal consultation process is to be conducted outside of the Pupil Accommodation Review process. This process is known as a Boundary
Review Consultation.

2. Attendance Areas

2.1 The Board recognizes historical boundary areas, which were established by its predecessor boards with contiguous school boards, and right-to-attend areas as
defined under the Education Act.

2.2 The Director ensures the organization of attendance areas to make efficient and economical use of the board’s facilities, programs, resources and staff and shall
ensure a regular review of school attendance area boundaries to maintain a viable and efficient school system.

2.3 Sometimes, adjustments to attendance areas are required to appropriately accommodate students.

2.3.1 Some boundary adjustments may be required when the Board closes a school, alters grades within or between schools, or opens a new school
under the terms of Board Policy 15 Pupil Accommodation Reviews.

2.3.2 Boundary adjustments may also be made outside the student accommodation review process to address other accommodation issues, to reflect historical movement of students due to border crossing, or to ensure efficient use of Board resources.

2.4 Where possible, the Director or designate will attempt to accommodate requests for students to attend schools outside their specific school attendance area as long as the receiving school can accommodate the students without incurring additional costs or obligations such as staffing or transportation services. For further details, refer to AP302 Student Enrolment.

2.5 In determining new boundaries or changes to existing boundaries, Board staff will consider planning criteria such as:

2.5.1 Walking distances;
2.5.2 Capacity of the affected schools and the school sites as it affects the movement of students;
2.5.3 The efficiency of transportation routes;
2.5.4 Concentration of populations and enrolment projections;
2.5.5 The proximity to other schools; and
2.5.6 Effect of changes on any feeder schools and surrounding schools.
2.6 Affected families and school communities are to be consulted prior to final decisions to adjust school boundaries. This consultation may be informal or may be a formal, public consultation process, depending on the factors described below.

3. Appropriateness of a Formal Boundary Review Consultation

3.1 As a guide, a formal Boundary Review Consultation should be undertaken when the impacted students per each origin school(s) are 30% or greater but less than 50%, when the Pupil Accommodation Review under Policy 15 would apply. Specifically:

Process	% of impacted students	Governing Policy or Administrative Procedure
Internal Boundary adjustment	0 - 29.99%	AP305: School Enrolment Areas and Boundary Reviews
Boundary Review Consultation	30 - 49.99%	AP305: School Enrolment Areas and Boundary Reviews
Accommodation Review Process	50% and greater	Policy 15: Pupil Accommodation Reviews

3.2 In addition to the above minimum guideline, staff may bring forward a request for a Boundary Review Consultation under this AP, when the following parameters exist.

3.2.1 The boundary review impacts more than two schools;
3.2.2 A clear solution is not evident;
3.2.3 At the Board of Trustees request;
3.2.4 At the Ministry of Education’s request or recommendation: or,
3.2.5 Other reasons as approved by the Board of Trustees.

3.3 In certain situations, a Boundary Review Consultation process may be bypassed with Board of Trustee approval. Specifically:

3.3.1 In the case of a catastrophic loss of capacity that requires immediate relocation of students and staff for safety reasons;
3.3.2 When a pre-planned by temporary relocation is required to accommodate capital construction; or,
3.3.3 If a formal Accommodation Review decision by the Board of Trustees includes decisions pertaining to Boundaries.

4. Process for an Internal Boundary Adjustment

4.1 If it is determined that an Internal Boundary Review adjustment is appropriate, staff will bring forward a Director’s Information Report to the Board of Trustees. This report will contain the following items at minimum, and will be reviewed by the Board’s Equity Lead or Committee before presentation to Trustees:

4.1.1 The schools impacted by or involved in the process.
4.1.2 The Ministry of Education capacity for each school.
4.1.3 The actual enrolment and occupancy as a percentage of the Ministry of Education capacity.
4.1.4 The current and projected enrolments in each school.
4.1.5 Other information or special circumstances deemed relevant such as:

- - The number of border-crossing students in attendance at each school;
  - The location of and enrolment in special programs which attract students from other parts of the district;
  - The status of the physical buildings including the need for alterations and additions; and,
  - The number and location of portables or temporary classrooms.

4.1.6 The reason(s) the Internal Boundary Adjustment is required.
4.1.7 Details of the Boundary Adjustment process, including:

- - Timelines for the process;
  - Details on the communication plan, including how the school community will receive communications about the process; and,
  - Other information as deemed appropriate.

5. Process for a Boundary Review Consultation

5.1 Once it is determined by staff that the Boundary Review Consultation would be appropriate, staff will bring forward a Director’s Action Report to the Board of
Trustees. This report will contain the following items at minimum, and will be reviewed by the Board’s Equity Lead or Committee before presentation to Trustees.:

5.1.1 The schools impacted by or involved in the process.
5.1.2 The Ministry of Education capacity for each school.
5.1.3 The actual enrolment and occupancy as a percentage of the Ministry of Education capacity.
5.1.4 The current and projected enrolments in each school.
5.1.5 Other information or special circumstances deemed relevant such as:

- - - - The number of border-crossing students in attendance at each school;
      - The location of and enrolment in special programs which attract students from other parts of the district;
      - The status of the physical buildings including the need for alterations and additions; and,
      - The number and location of portables or temporary classrooms.

5.1.6 The reason(s) a Boundary Review Consultation is recommended.
5.1.7 Details of the expected Boundary Review Consultation process, including:

- - - - Timelines for the process and decision, which should be complete within eight (8) months of the initial report to the Board;
      - Plans for and details of the community consultation process which may include meetings, surveys, committees or other consultative processes. The consultation process should allow for at minimum two (2) and at maximum four (4) opportunities for input which can take place in any combination of the formats noted above. The report will also include commentary on how staff will seek to ensure the voices of marginalized and underserved are represented. Note: Meetings may be in-person or virtually;
      - Information to be gleaned from the consultation process;
      - Details on the communication plan, how the school community will receive communications about the process and decisions; and,
      - Other information as deemed appropriate.

5.1.8 A proposed recommendation for Board of Trustee Approval, to undertake a Boundary Review Consultation process.

5.2 Once approved by the Board of Trustees, staff will undertake the Boundary Review Consultation process as detailed in the Board Report in item 5.1. Staff will provide regular updates to the Board of Trustees at regularly scheduled Board meetings.

5.3 At the conclusion of the Boundary Review Consultation process, staff will bring forward a Director’s Action Report to the Board of Trustees to close the process.
This report will contain the following items at minimum:

- - - Summarizing the process undertaken by staff as described in the initial Board Report;
    - The level of community engagement in the process:
    - The results of the consultation process, including new ideas that emerged, support or non-support for options presented;
    - The timelines and details of the Transition or implementation plan;
    - A recommendation as to next steps for all schools impacted by or involved in the Boundary Review Consultation process, along with justification from staff for the recommendation; and,
    - Other information as deemed appropriate.

5.4 Once the report described in 5.3 above is approved by the Board of Trustees, staff will undertake the Transition process and will provide regular, verbal updates to the Board of Trustees at scheduled Board meetings.

Revised September 2021

305 School Enrolment Areas and Boundary Review