The Bluewater District School Board is trying to accommodate a growing population in part of Grey County.
Andrew Low, Superintendent of Business Services and Treasurer, said some temporary changes will be in place until the new junior kindergarten (JK) to Grade 8 school is built in Dundalk. He says the board will hold an open house for those impacted by the plan.
"This is an opportunity for us to provide information to the public of the upcoming grade relocation, which is a temporary move of grade 7 and 8's from Highpoint Community School in Dundalk to Grey Highlands in Flesherton," explained Low. "This also is an introduction of holding areas."
He added the holding areas cover new developments where population growth is expected in Dundalk.
"It wouldn't affect anybody in homes yet," he continued. "This would be for any new homes. So they would have the understanding that they wouldn't necessarily go to school in in Dundalk, temporarily, they would go to Macphail until the new school is built."
Macphail Memorial Elementary School in Flesherton (currently JK – Grade 8) will open to JK – Grade 8 students in proposed development areas in Dundalk.
Low said the changes are a short-term measure to handle the growing number of students in the region.
"Our utilization in the Dundalk area is quite high," he revealed. "We're in several portables at both Highpoint and Dundalk Proton," said Low. "So we need to mitigate the enrolment pressures, and this will temporarily do so, in the interim, until the new Dundalk school is built."
Low pointed out the new school planned in Dundalk is expected to be built by 2027.
"The new Dundalk school is a 735 pupil space elementary school." Low shared. "It will also have a three-room child centre, consisting of one toddler room, one preschool and one family group room to accommodate the enrolment pressures in the Municipality of Southgate."
He said the Ministry of Education has already approved the plans.
"Right now, we're procuring our land," Low pointed out. "We're working with the developer to procure land, hopefully to have shovels on the ground by the spring."
The changes will be explained at an open house on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at Grey Highlands Secondary between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
A designated web page has been created as part of Bluewater District School Board’s commitment to providing regular communication and support to students and families throughout this process. Members of the public are also invited to submit any questions to the following dedicated email address: dundalkprogramrevision@bwdsb.on.ca