Two years after Quinte Secondary School closed its doors to students, a plan is in the works to reopen the school.
At a special public board meeting on Wednesday, the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board of Trustees voted unanimously to reopen the 121,000 square foot facility as a Kindergarten to Grade 8 French Immersion school, for the 2022/23 school year.
The move would address school capacity concerns as well as seeing three administrative buildings, Education Centre, W.R. Kirk and George Umb, consolidated into Quinte Secondary and the current buildings closed, achieving operational and financial efficiencies.
Director of Education Sean Monteith says he is a big fan of efficiency projects.
He took a walk through the school last year and said that was the start of what got them to where they are today and is thrilled with the decision.
Controller of Facility Services Kim Horrigan says projected enrolment in the single track French Immersion program would see a high number of students relocated to a central location.
Hastings Prince Edward District School Board Controller of Facility Services Kim Horrigan. (Photo: Amanda Smith/Quinte News)
Based on estimates, they could see between 600 and 700 Grade 4-8 students from Bayside Public (Grades 4-6) and Secondary (Grades 7-8), Harry J. Clarke Public School and Prince Charles Public School at QSS. Enrolment for a Kindergarten to Grade 8 French Immersion could be between 850-950 students.
Overall, the projected elementary enrolment for this upcoming school year is 10,464 students with eight per cent of those in French Immersion.
The projected enrolment of elementary students for the 2020/21 school year.
At Harry J. Clarke, by removing the French Immersion program, it would open 300 surplus spaces. At Bayside, 86% of grade 7/8 students are enrolled in French Immersion with 30 non-French Immersion students. By moving the Grade 4-6 French Immersion students, it would allow for the aging annex to be closed and provide some opportunities to relieve enrolment pressures. At Prince Charles, 36 per cent of students are in the French Immersion program, creating 175 surplus spaces.
A tentative timeline sees the building review and initial architectural drawings starting next month through to December, a design for construction finalized between January and September 2021, the tender posted in October 2021 and approved by January 2022 and construction to begin in February 2022.
Doors would open in September 2022 for the 2022/23 school year.
The report did not state the cost of the reopening but Monteith says it will be something they will take a good look at.
During the 2016/17 accommodation final review, the five year renewal needs for QSS were $13.3 million and it is now expected those renewal costs will have increased.
The administrative buildings also had condition assessment reports done in January 2019.
The renewal costs for three administrative buildings for the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board.
Monteith says there will be a committee formed and extensive community consultation will take place before final plans are put in place.
Part of the discussion will also be the transportation needs and the expectation new routes will be required.
Monteith said there are two kinds of organizations he has seen in his experience; those which allow things to happen and are defined by events around them, and those which make things happen and define themselves by confronting their challenges and take advantage of their opportunities.
He said the Senior Administration have been given the go ahead by the trustees to proceed and bring to life their dream of a renewed HPEDSB.
Board Chair Lucille Kyle says by taking this big and bold step they are taking a risk and that takes courage.
She says the community can expect to see more changes in the way they do business and this is one of them.
Quinte Secondary was closed at the end of June 2018 following a Pupil Accommodation Review. The school is currently being used as a community COVID-19 assessment centre for Quinte Health Care.
