Prince Edward County Reviews

Accommodation review of Prince Edward County schools

Background

Accommodation reviews have been approved for the Belleville and Madoc areas and a number of schools in Prince Edward County. An accommodation review happens through the school board, with public input, to determine the future of a school or group of schools.

Accommodation review final recommendations

On June 19, 2017, Board members made the following recommendations for Prince Edward County schools:

  • Recommendation 1: Sophiasburgh Central School remains open subject to conditions the following conditions being in place:
    • All agreements relative to establishing "The Sophiasburgh Opportunity" a community hub at Sophiasburgh Central School, are signed in accordance with Administrative Procedure 570: Community Planning and Partnerships (October 2015);
    • Signed contractual agreement(s) with the Sophiasburgh Community Hub and The County of Prince Edward fund sourcing and governance building stakeholders are required by no later than April 30, 2018;
    • Student population sustainability to ensure program viability must be part of the ongoing contractual considerations.

If signed contractual agreement(s) for the establishment of a financially viable community hub at Sophiasburgh Central School are not in place by May 1, 2018, the students from Sophiasburgh Central School will be consolidated with students at Prince Edward Collegiate Institute for September 2018 and Sophiasburgh would close.

  • Recommendation 2: Consolidate Pinecrest Memorial Elementary School and Queen Elizabeth School (Picton) at Queen Elizabeth School effective September 2017 to form a K-6 school. Pinecrest will close at the end of June 2017.
  • Recommendation 3: Relocate Grade 7 and 8 students from Pinecrest Memorial Elementary School and Queen Elizabeth School (Picton) to Prince Edward Collegiate Institute effective September 2017 creating a 7-12 school.
  • Recommendation 4: Effective September 2018, consolidate students from Queen Elizabeth School (Picton) and Prince Edward Collegiate Institute at Prince Edward Collegiate Institute, creating a K-12 school. Queen Elizabeth School would close at the end of June 2018.
  • Recommendation 5: Continue to explore opportunities for community partnerships for the consolidated school(s), including child care opportunities that are aligned with the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan priorities.

Administrative Reviews

Following the final recommendations by the Board of Trustees, if accommodation review participants believe that the accommodation review did not comply with the board's policy, they may submit a formal request to the Ministry of Education for an administrative review of the process. Administrative review requests are considered by the ministry and may be granted if serious deficiencies have been identified and substantiated.

The administrative review is not an assessment of the Board of Trustees' decision, but of whether the school board's process followed its pupil accommodation review policy. The report from the administrative review cannot overturn a school board's decision. The reviewer's report is given to the Minister of Education who shares it with the Board of Trustees and with the public. It is the Board of Trustees that decides how to proceed in light of the review.

Requests for an administrative review for Pinecrest Memorial Elementary School and Queen Elizabeth School were filed with the Ministry of Education by July 19, 2017 (within the required 30-day timeframe).

Below are the HPEDSB responses with links to appendices.

Administrative Review for Queen Elizabeth School

→ HPEDSB response to the request for an Administrative Review for Queen Elizabeth School, submitted to the Ministry of Education on August 17, 2017 (Pdf)

→ Ministry of Education confirms no further action Ministry response not to appoint a facilitator for Queen Elizabeth School, September 15, 2017 (Pdf)

Administrative Review for Pinecrest Memorial Elementary School

→ HPEDSB response to the request for an Administrative Review for Pinecrest Memorial Elementary School, submitted to the Ministry of Education on August 16, 2017 (Pdf)

→ Ministry of Education confirms no further action Ministry response not to appoint a facilitator for Pinecrest Memorial Elementary School, September 15, 2017 (Pdf)