Major review planned for region’s schools

There is also a caution that the two-year review may lead to a recommendation that some schools should be reconfigured or closed.

This review process begins in September and public consultations will be held to allow schools and communities to contribute to the review, says a statement issued today by the board.

Any formal consideration of a school closure would have to occur under a separate, yearlong process, notes the board. As well, any school review process for an individual school could only occur after the program review has been completed—likely in March, 2010.

No schools can be closed as a result of the review before September, 2011.

Jim Gunn, former superintendent of schools for the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board, has been hired to carry out the review. He recently completed a similar school utilization study for the South Shore Regional School Board.

Review will look specifically at the following areas

• is the basic public school program being delivered in each school as required by the Department of Education?

• what additional educational programs are being offered in each school and regionally?

• how can the delivery of the educational programs be improved?

• Are there particular issues or problems in program delivery that should be addressed under high priority status?

• How can the school facilities be utilized more effectively and efficiently to deliver the educational programs?

• what are the financial implications of making the recommended improvements in program delivery and school utilization?

• what is a reasonable timeline in making the improvements?

Questions will be answered through a three-phase process

The first phase will look at educational program delivery in each school and how it can be improved. That will be followed by consultation with schools and communities.

The final phase will determine how schools can be used more effectively and efficiently, particularly with the decline in student enrolment that is expected to continue over the next five years or more.

The board says it has a responsibility to ensure that schools are being used as efficiently as possible and that the diminishing school enrolments are not having a negative effect on the delivery of the required programs to students.