STAFF REPORT

March 2, 2000

To: Planning and Transportation Committee

From: Commissioner Urban Development Services

Subject: Toronto District School Board Phase 2 Closure (City-wide)

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to:

1. Provide members of Council with an update regarding TDSB Phase 1 closures; and

2. Provide a preliminary assessment of the impact of Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Phase 2 school closures on the local delivery of municipal services and programs.

Financial Implications:

Potential financial impacts for the City will be reported on separately, once requests for proposals for surplus school properties have been received and the City's interests have been fully assessed.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

1. City Council adopt the draft principles for re-use of surplus schools as set out in Appendix A to this report.

2. This report be forwarded to the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board, and that they be requested to review and adopt the principles for re-use of surplus schools contained within Appendix A, prior to the release of any requests for proposals for schools declared surplus.

3. The Toronto District School Board be requested to consult with appropriate City officials prior to any restriction of evening use of school facilities, to ensure that existing municipal programs can be adequately accommodated, and public meeting space continues to be available to local residents.

Executive Summary:

Phase I:

In response to Provincial funding cuts, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) have embarked on multi-phased asset consolidation plans that will result in an estimated 45 school closures in total. The TDSB approved the first phase of 10 closures in June, 1999, and formally declared the properties surplus at its meeting held on February 9, 2000. Requests for Proposals to lease the individual properties will be circulated to a number of public bodies, including the City of Toronto, within the next few weeks. This report provides an update on the facilities ultimately approved for closure in Phase I, and potential City interests in these properties. Council should adopt the draft principles attached to this report (Appendix A) and request the TDSB and the TCDSB to also adopt them. Staff will report further on the Phase I closures when the RFP has been issued.

Phase II:

The second phase of recommended closures and consolidations was presented to the TDSB at its meeting held on February 23, 2000. The TDSB staff report recommends the following 8 schools as candidates for closure/relocation/consolidation:

Closures:

Bathurst Heights SS - 640 Lawrence Avenue West

Bruce Jr PS - 51 Larchmount Avenue

Heather Heights Jr PS - 80 Slan Avenue

Relocations:

Downtown Alternative School - 85 Lower Jarvis Street

Frank Oke SS - 500 Alliance Avenue

Ursula Franklin Academy - 90 Croatia Street

Consolidations:

Carleton Village Jr & Sr PS/City School - 2054 Davenport Road & 315 Osler Street

Essex Jr & Sr PS/Hawthorne II Bilingual Alternative School - 50 Essex Street

Final approval of these proposed closures will occur after school communities have had an opportunity to review and comment on TDSB staff recommendations, and have submitted their findings to the Board of Trustees. If approved, facilities recommended in this phase will close effective June 2001.

The closure/relocation/consolidation of these facilities will impact on:

(i) 1,487 hours of municipal recreational programming ranging from aquatics to basketball, for a total of 1,791 participants

(ii) public access to at least 1 indoor swimming pool

(ii) approximately 18 acres of open space which is currently available for use by local residents

(iii) 4 licensed child care programs offering a total of 219 spaces for children aged 0 to 10 years; 115 of the children presently enrolled receive a fee subsidy

(iv) 4 parenting programs

(v) dental screening, immunization and prenatal support offered by Public Health

(vi) school nutrition programs funded through Public Health

Comments:

(A) Update on Phase 1 TDSB Closures

At its meeting held on February 9, 2000, the TDSB formally declared the schools approved for closure in Phase 1 surplus to the needs of the Board. Therefore, the following schools will close in June, 2000, and the properties will be offered for lease, as required by Provincial Regulation 444 (Disposition of Surplus Real Property):

Brookbanks P.S. - 217 Brookbanks Drive

McNicoll P.S. - 155 McNicoll Avenue

Midland Avenue CI - 720 Midland Avenue

Earlscourt PS - 21 Ascot Avenue

Grace Street PS - 65 Grace Street

Heydon Park SS - 11 St. Annes Road

Hughes PS - 177 Caledonia Road

DB Hood CS - 2327 Dufferin Street

Shaw Street portion of Givins/Shaw PS - 180 Shaw Street

Ossington PS portion of Ossington/Old Orchard PS - 380 Ossington Avenue

The recommendation to close Cordella PS, located at 175 Cordella Avenue, was referred back to TDSB staff for further study, after consultation with the school community illustrated the difficulties in accessing schools in adjacent communities posed by the physical barriers surrounding the area. After a closer examination, TDSB staff ultimately recommended that Cordella PS remain open, and the Board of Trustees concurred.

As stated in earlier reports, Regulation 444 requires school boards to issue Requests for Proposals (RFP's) to lease to a list of 10 provincially-mandated recipients. The City ranks fifth in the list of priorities, after the various publicly funded elementary, secondary and post secondary educational interests have been satisfied. All of the designated public bodies will receive the RFP's simultaneously and will have 90 days in which to respond. The TDSB will assess any submissions received in accordance with the priorities set out in Regulation 444. If there is no interest expressed by higher ranking organizations, the City may lease specific properties at market value.

An inter-departmental City staff team has completed their assessment of the City's interests in these properties, based on Council-approved priorities. Staff first determined which programs could be accommodated in neighbouring facilities. City staff were able to:

- Find alternate locations for all of the recreation programs located in schools declared surplus in Phase 1

- Assist the individual child care operators to develop appropriate plans for their individual programs. To date, all of the programs affected by Phase 1 closures have secured space in either the closed school or one of the designated receiving schools, and in some cases have requested expanded licensed capacities

- Identify as high priority the retention of community access to the open spaces associated with:

Hughes P.S.

Ossington P.S.

Grace Street P.S.

Heydon Park S.S.

The review of open space conducted by Economic Development Culture and Tourism Department staff considered factors such as parkland provision levels, previous investment in playground improvements and usability of the properties.

City staff initiated the development of principles for re-use of surplus facilities which would assist in providing some certainty regarding the school boards' attempts to secure other tenants for the closed school sites. Existing policies and practices of the school boards were examined and incorporated into a document which details a commitment to:

1. consultation with local residents and City officials prior to leasing facilities,

2. adherence to existing Official Plan policies,

3. accommodation of existing community programs and services within their existing or alternate premises, and

4. public use of school yards.

The draft principles are contained within Appendix A, and it is recommended that City Council adopt these principles and request the two Boards to do likewise.

Staff from both the TDSB and TCDSB have reviewed the draft principles, and the TDSB has provided some feedback. If incorporated into the documents circulated as part of the RFP's for these sites, the principles will assist in safeguarding public access. It is therefore imperative that both the TDSB and TCDSB review and adopt a mutually agreed upon set of principles prior to the release of the RFP's.

If principles of re-use cannot be agreed upon, City Council may opt to explore the possibility of submitting a proposal to lease the open space only for the sites deemed to be of a high priority. While the RFP's have not as yet been released, they may not allow for interests to be expressed for only a component of the site.

In the event that none of the RFP recipients express an interest in any of these surplus properties, they may then be offered to private sector bodies, such as private schools and commercial interests.

(E) Factors in Determining Candidates for Closure in Phase 2

Recommended reductions in surplus capacities were achieved through either:

- Closures

- Relocations of educational programs to new, more appropriate facilities

- Consolidation of educational programs into one portion of the existing facility, and the closure of the remainder OR the relocation of one portion of a school campus to another building within the same campus, and the closure of the vacated facility.

In determining which schools to review for closure, TDSB staff first exempted schools which are:

- Designated as receiving schools for facilities approved for closure in the first phase

- Located in "isolated" areas, where there would not be a TDSB school operating within Provincially-prescribed walking distances

- Located in areas where neighbouring facilities do not have sufficient capacity to accommodate displaced students

The following criteria were then applied:

- Schools operating at less than 60% of their Provincially-rated capacities

- Schools which could benefit from boundary adjustments or program relocations in order to make them more operationally efficient

A list of schools recommended for closure/relocation/consolidation, and the recommended receiving schools can be found in Appendix B.

(N) Public Consultation Process

As in the Phase 1 closures, Area Review Committees (ARC's) will be formed for each of the schools identified for potential closure. In instances of closure and relocation, representation will be sought from the affected school, as well as those identified as potential receiving schools. Consolidation is not expected to impact neighbouring schools, therefore the ARC's will be comprised of representatives from the effected school only.

In all instances, 2 community representatives will be invited to participate. There is no formal involvement of City staff or elected officials, or the service deliverers who are tenants within the facilities recommended for closure. However, they may attend as non-voting observers.

The process outlined for consultation and reporting is as follows:

- ARC's will meet to review the data used by TDSB staff as the basis of their recommendations, raise issues that may not have been addressed and make alternate recommendations between March 6, 2000 and May 12, 2000

- ARC reports must be submitted to the Executive Officer of Facility Services by May 15, 2000 for analysis

- ARC members will be invited to present their findings to the Board of Trustees on May 15, 2000

- Staff will release their final recommendations during the week of June 12, 2000

- ARC members will be given another opportunity to depute before the Board on June 26, 2000

- Final staff report will go to the Board for decision on June 28, 2000.

City Councillors will be apprised of the first meeting dates, times and locations of each ARC, and subsequent meetings will be scheduled at the discretion of the ARC members.

(U) Municipal Use of Schools Identified in Phase 2

The primary municipal program areas affected by school closures are licensed daycare, recreation programs and public health services and programs. It is important to note that many non-municipal service providers and organizations also make extensive use of school facilities, however, the TDSB has not yet consolidated their permitting information, and do not have comprehensive information about broader community use. Therefore, City staff have had to confine their assessment to municipally operated or funded programs and services.

An overview of municipal programs is contained within Appendix C.

(i) Licensed Child Care

There are a total of 4 programs which are directly affected by the proposed Phase 2 closures, which will be affected in different ways. All 4 programs are operated on a non-profit basis by 4 distinct boards of directors.

The program located in Bathurst Heights Secondary School, Bathurst Heights Community Day Care, provides service to 41 children aged 0 to 5 years. The recommended closure of this school may result in a relocation of this program, however the approach taken with respect to the Phase 1 closures allowed operators a choice of remaining in the closed school, or relocating to another TDSB facility. Programs for younger children require dedicated space and have a number of specialized facility requirements (such as changing and sleeping areas for infants). Relocation of this program will likely require costly renovations to any new premises.

Hawthorne-on-Essex Day Care has a licensed capacity for 89 children aged 2 ½ to 10 years, and is located in the portion of Essex Public School which is being proposed for closure. Therefore, the program may have to relocate within the same facility.

Perth School Age Satellite is located at Carleton Village Junior Public School at 2054 Davenport Road, and has capacity to serve 24 children aged 6 to 10 years. It is situated in the portion of the Carleton Village campus recommended for closure, and may therefore have to relocate. However, programs for school aged children do not require dedicated space or specialized facility features, should the operator choose to move, making potential relocation somewhat simpler.

Downtown Alternative School Day Care is located at 85 Lower Jarvis Street, and has capacity to serve 65 children aged 2 ½ to 10 years. A new location for the educational programs has not yet been identified, therefore it is unclear whether there will be sufficient space within the new premises for the child care program.

As stated in previous reports, school closures may result in enrolment pressures within neighbouring schools, many of which already house a daycare program. Additional enrolment may make it difficult to house displaced programs and may also place the tenancy of existing programs in jeopardy, as space within schools for community programs becomes increasingly scarce. City staff will continue to monitor this situation.

(ii) Open Space

School yards often contribute significantly to a community's open space, and are generally used extensively by local residents. The total amount of usable open space in Phase 2 is approximately 18 acres. Generally, school sites provide good recreational opportunities, and Economic Development Culture and Tourism Department staff will conduct an assessment of City priorities similar to the one undertaken for the Phase 1 sites.

In addition, the City contributed $50,000 toward playground improvements at Bruce Public School, which were completed in 1980.

(iii) Recreation

Recreation programming is concentrated within 2 of the 8 facilities identified for potential closure, which accommodate 71 aquatics programs ranging from aqua tots to swimming activities for seniors.

Bathurst Heights SS is used extensively for daytime and evening swim programs. A total of 989 hours of programming is offered annually to over 1,500 participants. Economic Development Culture and Tourism Department staff have indicated that it will be extremely difficult to relocate the programs currently being offered at this facility.

Carleton Village Sr PS is also used to provide 75 hours of aquatics programming for 133 participants, and 45 hours of basketball to 26 participants annually. However, the facilities used by the Economic Development Culture and Tourism Department are located within the portion of the Carleton Village campus recommended for retention. Therefore, relocation of programs may not be required.

(iv) Public Health

Public Health programs typically take the form of school nutrition programs, in addition to providing support to parenting and family resource programs. Funding for nutrition programs is typically used for portable equipment that can be readily moved to a receiving school. Generally, dedicated space is not required for Public Health programs, and relocation costs would be minimal.

(B) Implications for Municipally Delivered Services

City staff will explore the possibility of on-going municipal use of the pool at Bathurst Heights SS with the TDSB and any future tenants.

With respect to the 4 non-profit child care programs, each board of directors must decide whether it is in the best interests of their programs to relocate along with their school populations, or negotiate their continued presence within the closed school. City staff are available to provide assistance to these operators, as requested.

Once the extent of relocation has been determined, costs associated with moving and renovation can then be determined. The TDSB has indicated to centres affected in the first phase of closures that it is willing to fund relocations within facilities, but only 50% of the costs of moving programs between facilities. The Children's Services Division of the Community Services Department will be preparing a report on the financial implications for City budgets as a result of program relocations, once the operators' plans have been finalized.

(C) Zoning and Permitted Uses of Candidates for Closure

A summary of the zoning and Official Plan designations for each of the schools recommended for closure/relocation is contained within Appendix D.

All of the sites have some form of residential permission, ranging from single detached homes to apartment units. However, the TDSB has indicated its intention to lease (rather than sell) any facilities closed in Phase 2, as it did in Phase 1. Therefore, any redevelopment of these sites for residential purposes seems unlikely at this point in time.

(D) Restricted Evening Use of Schools

In addition to school closures, community access to schools is also hampered by a lack of Provincial funding for caretaking staff. The Boards require that a staff member be on the premises during evening use of their schools in the event of an emergency, and to close the facility once the programs have concluded. Since the introduction of the new funding formula, the TCDSB has had to reduce its complement of caretaking staff by 158 full time equivalent positions, which has resulted in the closure of 67 facilities for community use after 7:30 pm.

Once the TCDSB policy was fully implemented, TDSB staff indicated that requests for evening use of their facilities increased dramatically. However, the TDSB may be required to implement a similar policy of restricted community access, once the union contract with its caretaking staff expires on August 31, 2000. The Board of Trustees approved the elimination of 112 contract and 300 full time positions, effective September 1, 2000. Therefore, any curtailment of the community's use of schools in the evening will not occur until the fall, and at this point in time, facilities recommended for restricted community use have not yet been identified.

It is anticipated that as access to schools becomes increasingly constrained, demand for City facilities will increase significantly. Recreation centre staff report that many of the City's facilities are operating at full capacity, and there is limited ability to accommodate extra demand. City staff have expressed a willingness to work with the TDSB to ensure that there is adequate distribution of recreation programs across the City, and that no neighbourhood is without access to public meeting space.

Conclusion:

Appropriate City staff will assist in the deliberations of the local ARC's, if requested, and will monitor the impacts of relocating local services and programs. Once the TDSB has approved Phase 2 closures, a further assessment of City interests in the sites declared surplus will be conducted, in anticipation of the circulation of a new round of RFP's.

The implications of restricted community access to schools will continue to be monitored, and staff will pursue the possibility of joint planning in this area. Staff will also report to Planning and Transportation Committee, if the TDSB and TCDSB do not respond to the request to incorporate principles for re-use of surplus schools within any RFP's for surplus sites.

Contact:

Ann-Marie Nasr

Manager, Policy & Programs

Policy & Research

Telephone: 392-0402

Fax: 397-4080

Reviewed by:

______________________________ _____________________________

Paul J. Bedford PAULA M. DILL

Executive Director and Chief Planner Commissioner

City Planning Urban Development Services

List of Attachments:

Appendix A - Draft Principles for Re-use of Closed Schools

Appendix B - Enrolment Information on TDSB Schools Identified in Phase 2

Appendix C - Municipal Programs in TDSB Phase 2 Schools

Appendix D - Site Assessments for TDSB Schools Identified in Phase 2

Appendix A

Draft Principles for Re-use of Closed Schools

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) will have regard to the following principles when considering the selection of tenants for its surplus school facilities:

- As a general principle, it is the intent of the TDSB and the TCDSB to retain ownership of its surplus school sites, however in the event that school sites are offered for sale, such sales will be governed by Regulation 444.

- The TDSB and the TCDSB will work cooperatively with City of Toronto officials during the process of declaring schools surplus to their needs, and will provide early notification of plans to disposition of these sites.

- The TDSB and the TCDSB, when considering the long term lease of surplus school sites, will endeavour to retain public access to the school's open space, subject to the requirements of the future tenant(s).

- In the event that leased school facilities and open space are available for public use, all costs associated with such uses shall be in accordance with leasing and permit policies and procedures approved by the relevant School Board.

- The TDSB and the TCDSB, when considering alternative uses for its surplus sites, will adhere to a process of community consultation in accordance with each School Board's leasing and permit policies and procedures.

- The Boards, when considering alternative uses for its surplus schools sites, will seek uses which are in accordance with the intent of the City of Toronto's Official Plan policies.

- The TDSB and TCDSB will endeavour to relocate existing community services or programs housed in schools approved for closure subject to the availability of school space and the requirements of Regulation 444.

- All changes to the terms and conditions of shared use agreements resulting from the closure of school facilities, will be subject to negotiations between the City of Toronto and the relevant School Board.

Appendix B

Enrolment Information on TDSB Schools Identified in Phase 2

Appendix C

Municipal Programs in TDSB Phase 2 Schools

Appendix D

Site Assessments for TDSB Schools Identified in Phase 2

* denotes schools where open space will be impacted.