FLC-R: Re-Opening School Facilities for Local Needs or District Programs

The decision to re-open a school for local school purposes or for district program purposes is based on the educational requirements of the Board of School Trustees (the “Board”). 

Procedures for implementing the re-opening of closed school facilities for local needs or district programs:

• Planning and Facililties Committee (Committee II), in private session, receives a report from senior management on space needs, background information, cost estimates and recommendations on space requirements and proposed re-openings.  The Committee forwards its recommendations to the Board. 
• The Board, in private session, decides on proposed re-opening for local school purposes brought forward from Planning and Facilities Committee.  In the case of a proposed re-opening for district program purposes prior to a decision by the Board, the matter will be referred to a public meeting - see item 4(b) below. 
• Board decisions are announced in public session of the next Planning and Facilities Committee meeting.  The process for implementing decisions is reviewed. 

Re-Opening: 

Local School Purposes

• The appropriate associate superintendent - area will arrange a meeting as soon as possible to inform the principal, school staff and  the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) executive of the main or adjacent schools about the re-opening of the school facility. 
• As a result of the meeting noted above and if required, the associate superintendent - area may convene a public information meeting to advise the parents and interested community residents about the school re-opening. 

District Program Purposes 

• If an existing district program is to be relocated to a facility, the principal, staff and  PAC executive or parent group of that program will be advised as soon as possible by the appropriate associate superintendent - area.  
• The associate superintendent-area responsible for the school facility considered for re-opening will inform the principals, staff, and  PAC executives of adjacent schools and will convene a public information meeting as soon as possible to advise parents and interested community residents about the proposed school re-opening.   The public information meeting will be held within the local area affected by the proposed re-opening. 
• Following the public information meeting, the input from the community will be reported to the Planning and Facilities Committee, and a recommendation on the proposed re-opening for district program purposes will be forwarded to the Board. 
• Prior to any public information meeting, appropriate notification will be provided in the local press and in the newsletters of schools adjoining the facility to be re-opened. 
• Board staff will commence activities to ensure the successful re-opening of the facility.

DMT Responsibility: D-FSS