Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) is committed to providing equitable, affordable, and sustainable learning facilities for students. To address the numerous facets related to this mandate and to provide clear direction, HWDSB, led by the Facilities Management Department, has produced the Long-Term Facilities Master Plan (LTFMP) to guide us toward achieving sustainable facilities. The LTFMP is meant to be an online document with embedded links to websites and reports that will be updated on a regular basis. The goal is to ensure that the LTFMP has current and relevant information beyond the date of its publication. The document is broken down into three main sections which include: Accommodation and Planning, Capital Projects and Facility Operations. Each section represents one of the three divisions that make up the Facilities Management Department.
Guiding Principles
To ensure that Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) provides equitable, affordable and sustainable learning facilities, the following LTFMP Guiding Principles have been created.
These principles guide and assist in creating the framework for determining the viability of our schools, which is a key component in the development and implementation of the Long-Term Facilities Master Plan.
The following guiding principles are consistent with the commitment to provide quality teaching and learning environments that are driven by the needs of students and programs:
- HWDSB is committed to providing school renewal by optimizing opportunities to invest in improved school facilities.
- Optimal utilization rates of school facilities is in the range of 90-110%.
- School facilities reflect both the Elementary and Secondary Program Strategies by providing students access to flexible and specialized learning spaces.
- The scheduled length of time on a vehicle provided through HWSTS shall not exceed 60 minutes one way.
- School facilities will enable 21st Century teaching and learning by providing spaces that support collaboration, citizenship, and community.
- Identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities who work, learn, and participate in the HWDSB community and environment, including students, staff, parent(s)/guardian(s), volunteers and visitors to HWDSB and its schools.
- Promote equity of opportunity and access to board facilities, including schools, for students and the school community.
- Specific principles related to elementary and secondary panels:
Elementary
- School Capacity – optimal school capacity would be 450 to 650 students, which creates two to three classes for each grade.
- School Grade/Organization – Kindergarten to Grade 8 facilities.
- School Site Size – optimal elementary school site includes play fields, parking lot and building. For new site acquisition, optimal size approximately 6 acres and for existing schools is based on local circumstances.
- In dual track schools, enrolment between French Immersion and English track should ensure that the balance supports ideal program delivery. i.e. There should be enough French Immersion enrolment to support a successful program but should not exceed 60%.
Secondary
- School Capacity – optimal school capacity would be 1,000 to 1,350 students.
- School Site Size – optimal secondary school site includes a sport field, parking lot and building. For new site acquisition, optimal size is approximately 15 acres and for existing schools is based on local circumstances.
*NOTE: The principles are intended to be guides. Local parameters may influence the thresholds above (in #8).
Long-Term Facilities Master Plan
The Long-Term Facilities Master Plan (Full Report) is broken down into three sections with multiple subsections. Each section represents one of the three divisions that make up the Facilities Management Department.
The document includes:
Introduction
This section provides the purpose and framework of the LTFMP and indicates the scheduled updates over next eight school years.
Guiding Principles
Section 1: Planning & Accommodation
- Community Profile: This section analyzes population, residential development, immigration and live birth trends and their potential impact on enrolment trends.
- Enrolment & Capacity Trends: This section summarizes student yields and apportionment rates along with historical and projected elementary and secondary enrolment.
- HWDSB Property: This section is an overview of vacant and surplus HWDSB properties. This section also outlines Ontario Regulation 444/98: Disposition of Surplus Real Property and HWDSB’s Educational Development Charge by-law.
- Planning Areas: This section analyzes elementary planning areas and secondary planning area. These planning areas allow for comprehensive and in-depth analysis of each area of the city.
- Facility Assessment: This section provides information regarding how facility assessment are completed and a description of the classifications used in facility assessment. This section also provides the facility assessment status of all HWDSB schools. This section provides information regarding what Facility Condition Index is and the status of all HWDSB schools.
- Facility Partnerships: This section provides an overview of HWDSB’s facility partnership initiative and schools with surplus space.
- Accommodation Strategy Schedule: The schedule indicates a moratorium for the 2021/2022 school year. All future accommodation reviews have not been schedule and are identified as remaining. The schedule will be updated once HWDSB’s Pupil Accommodation Review Policy and Procedure are revised to reflect the Ministry changes.
Section 2: Capital Projects
This section reviews the Annual Capital Plan, elementary/secondary facility benchmarks, school design manuals and capital funding received since 2012.
Section 3: Facility Operations
This section outlines HWDSB’s preventative maintenance plan and Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan.
Appendix:
Updated on Friday, October 06, 2023.