Accommodations

At the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB), we are committed to providing high quality academic programs in safe and stimulating learning environments. The Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) provides recommendations to the GECDSB regarding changes to student accommodations.

Join PARC

The Program and Accommodation Review Committee consists or parents, school staff, community members and administration. These committees are formed as needed at each school. If your school is putting together a PARC, please complete one of the following application forms:

You will need to submit the application directly to your school. The usual time commitment for members of PARC is five months.

Membership requirements

Review the membership requirements before volunteering to join the Program and Accommodation Review Committee.

Parent representative requirements

To be a parent representative, you must:

  • Have a child currently at the school
  • Have a vested interest in the school
  • Be able to attend all meetings
  • Have an open mind
  • Have some computer skills (i.e., Word, Excel) and access to email

Community or business representative requirements

To be a community or business representative, you must:

  • Not have any connections to the school
  • Be able to attend all meetings
  • Have an open mind
  • Have some computer skills (i.e., Word, Excel) and access to email
  • Be an English public education taxpayer

Long Term Accommodation Plan

Review the Long Term Accommodation Plan to learn more about student accommodation needs based on a variety of metrics, including:

  • Enrolment trends
  • Demographic trends
  • Facilities
  • Programming
  • Budgets
  • Infrastructure
  • French Immersion enrolments

Common acronyms

View the common acronyms related to student accommodations:

  • ADE – Average Daily Enrolments (usually refers to secondary school enrolment)
  • CAPT – Capital Analysis and Planning Template
  • CPPG – Community Planning and Partnership Guide
  • ESL – English as a Second Language
  • EQAO – Education Quality and Accountability Office (provincial standardized testing)
  • FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
  • FCI – Facility Condition Index (dollar value of repair work needed in each school)
  • FI – French Immersion
  • FDK – Full Day Kindergarten
  • FTE – Full Time Equivalent
  • GAINS – Giving Attention to Individual Needs
  • HVAC – Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning
  • IPRC – Identification, Placement and Review Committee
  • J/I – Junior/Intermediate (Grades 4 to 8)
  • JK – Junior Kindergarten
  • I/S – Intermediate/Senior (Grades 7 to 12)
  • LDCC – Locally Developed Compulsory Courses
  • LST – Learning Support Teacher
  • LTAP – Long Term Accommodation Plan
  • MAPS – My Achievement Pathway to Success
  • OEY – Ontario Early Years
  • OTG – On the Ground (number of students that can be accommodated in a school based on the Ministry of Education Guidelines)
  • OYAP – Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program
  • PARC – Program and Accommodation Review Committee
  • PASS – Public Alternative Secondary School
  • PCS – Primary Class Size
  • P/J – Primary/Junior (JK to Grade 3)
  • Portable – Standalone portable classroom (temporary space)
  • Portapak – Cluster of portables connected by a common corridor (temporary space)
  • PTR – Prohibitive to Repair
  • RISE – Reaching Individual Success and Excellence
  • SAL – Supervised Adult Learning
  • SCC – School Consolidated Capital
  • SCI – School Condition Improvement
  • SERT – Special Education Resource Teacher
  • SFIS – School Facilities Inventory System
  • SHSM – Specialist High Skills Major
  • SK – Senior Kindergarten
  • STEPS – Skills to Enhance Personal Success
  • TCPS – Total Capital Planning Solution

Archive

View the information from previous GECDSB Program and Accommodations review and boundary studies.

2015 PARC

A Program and Accommodation Review Committee was established on December 9, 2014, based on the following motion approved by the Board of Trustees:

That the Superintendent responsible for accommodations facilities an accommodation review of General Amherst High School, Kingsville District High School, Western Secondary School, Harrow District High School and Harrow Public School, to address capacity issues.

Supporting documents

Review the following supporting documents to learn more:

Meetings

Review the committee meeting minutes for more details:

You can also review our community meeting minutes:

School information profiles

A School Information Profile (SIP) is created to provide PARC members with an understanding of how well the school meets the objectives and the Board's regulatory criteria for student programs and accommodation. Here is the profile for each school:

Tecumseh PARC

A Program and Accommodation Review Committee was established on January 15, 2013, based on the following motion approved by the Board of Trustees:

That the Superintendent responsible for accommodations facilities an accommodation review of the Tecumseh Family of Schools to address capacity issues and the models of program delivery.

Supporting documents

Review the following supporting documents to learn more:

Meetings

Review the committee meeting minutes for more details:

You can also review our community meeting minutes:

School information profiles

A School Information Profile (SIP) is created to provide PARC members with an understanding of how well the school meets the objectives and the Board's regulatory criteria for student programs and accommodation. Here is the profile for each school:

Forster Family of Schools PARC

In 2011 the Board of Trustees instructed administration to conduct a program and accommodation review of the Forster Family of schools and includes Century Secondary School, due to its geographic location, to:

  • Address capacity issues and aging infrastructure needs within the Forster family of schools
  • Continue the investigation for a permanent French Immersion site, in accordance with the Board's direction from the South Windsor PARC

Supporting documents

Review the following supporting documents to learn more:

Meetings

Review the committee meeting minutes for more details:

You can also review our community meeting minutes:

School information profiles

A School Information Profile (SIP) is created to provide PARC members with an understanding of how well the school meets the objectives and the Board's regulatory criteria for student programs and accommodation. Here is the profile for each school:

Herman Family of Schools PARC

The Herman Family of Schools Program and Accommodation Review Committee was established as a result of the following motion by the Board of Trustees on October 18, 2011.

That the Superintendent responsible for accommodations conducts a PARC study of the Herman Family of Schools to:

  • Alleviate over-capacity enrolment at McCallum Public School
  • Reduce the number of empty student spaces and improve the utilization rates within the family of schools

Supporting documents

Review the following supporting documents to learn more:

Meetings

Review the committee meeting minutes for more details:

You can also review our community meeting minutes:

School information profiles

A School Information Profile (SIP) is created to provide PARC members with an understanding of how well the school meets the objectives and the Board's regulatory criteria for student programs and accommodation. Here is the profile for each school:

Kingsville Family of Schools PARC

In 2011 the Board of Trustees instructed administration to conduct a Program and Accommodations review of the Kingsville Family of Schools to:

  • Reduce the number of empty student spaces
  • Improve the utilization rates within the family of schools

Supporting documents

Review the following supporting documents to learn more:

Meetings

Review the committee meeting minutes for more details:

You can also review our community meeting minutes:

School information profiles

A School Information Profile (SIP) is created to provide PARC members with an understanding of how well the school meets the objectives and the Board's regulatory criteria for student programs and accommodation. Here is the profile for each school:

Boundary Studies

GECDSB, will conduct boundary studies if enrolment changes impact our ability to effectively and efficiently accommodate all students.

A Boundary study may be undertaken when less than 50% of the school's enrolment is affected. This calculation will be based upon the enrolment of the school at the time of the study. During the course of a Boundary study, our commitment remains that the study of any school be conducted from the broadest possible system and community perspective. The Board will maintain close communication with the community and seek community input.

Belle River family of schools

On January 15, 2013, the Board of Trustees approved the following recommendation regarding the Belle River family of schools.

That the Superintendent responsible for accommodations facilitates a boundary study to address capacity issues within the Belle River family of schools.

Supporting documents

Review the following supporting documents to learn more:

Meetings

Review the committee meeting minutes for more details:

We also held one community meeting on May 22, 2013. Review the Community Meeting Minutes for more information.

Riverside

On November 18, 2014, the Board of Trustees approved the following recommendation regarding Hetherington, Princess Elizabeth and Dr. David Suzuki Public School.

That the Superintendent responsible for accommodations facilities a boundary study involving, Hetherington Public School, Princess Elizabeth Public School and Dr. David Suzuki Public School, to address capacity issues and prior to commencement the Superintendent of accommodations present the boundary study process to trustees for approval.

Supporting documents

Review the following supporting documents to learn more:

Meetings

Review the committee meeting minutes for more details:

East Windsor-Forest Glade PARC

On December 13, 2016, the Board of Trustees approved the following motion.

That the Board approve the immediate commencement of a standard program accommodation review that includes Eastwood Public School, Forest Glade Public School and Parkview Public School, as set out in the program accommodation review.

Supporting documents

Review the following supporting documents to learn more:

Meetings

Review the committee meeting minutes for more details:

You can also review our community meeting materials:

School information profiles

A School Information Profile (SIP) is created to provide PARC members with an understanding of how well the school meets the objectives and the Board's regulatory criteria for student programs and accommodation. Here is the profile for each school:

Leamington PARC

On December 13, 2016, the Board of Trustees approved the following motion.

That the Board approve the immediate commencement of a standard program accommodation review that includes Gore Hill Public School, Margaret D. Bennie Public School, Mill Street Public School, Mt. Carmel-Blytheswood Public School and Queen Elizabeth Public School, as set out in the program accommodation review.

Supporting documents

Review the following supporting documents to learn more:

You can also view the community input:

Meeting

Review the committee meeting minutes for more details:

You can also review our community meeting materials:

School information profiles

A School Information Profile (SIP) is created to provide PARC members with an understanding of how well the school meets the objectives and the Board's regulatory criteria for student programs and accommodation. Here is the profile for each school: