By Craig Campbell, METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP

A board consultant warned West Accommodation Review Committee members not to alter final recommendations presented at a public meeting the previous week as they approved their final report last week after 13 months of discussion.

The West ARC’s key recommendations – closing Parkside and Highland and building a new Dundas high school on the Highland site, and demolishing Ancaster High and replacing it with a new school on its current site have been public for several weeks.
Additional recommendations including 1,000 pupil places and theatre style auditoriums in both schools; space for community partnerships; keeping existing schools open until new schools are ready; continuing existing programs in new schools and consulting on upgrades were also finalized several weeks ago.

But a ninth recommendation added by consultant Daniel Del Bianco to the committee’s final report drew the ire of fellow board consultant Jim Wibberley.

Del Bianco said he added  ninth recommendation after the previous week’s public meeting to address concerns raised by speakers regarding what will happen if Ontario’s ministry of education does not provide funding for the two new schools proposed. “In the absence of funding, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board will meet with the school communities to outline the Board’s proposed strategy.”

But Wibberley said the ninth recommendation did not come from the committee
and should not be included in its final report. “The ARC recommendations end with number eight,” he said. “If you like it, I
think it’s entirely appropriate to add it to other factors for consideration.”

While some members agreed with Wibberley’s advice, others questioned it.

“I think it’s appropriate,” said Westdale representative Sharon Ricci. “Otherwise, why hold a public meeting?”

Wibberley said the third and final public meeting was different than the previous two, and instead of getting public input into the recommendations it was an opportunity to share the recommendations.

Dundas trustee Jessica Brennan said she was concerned this one point raised at the public meeting made its way into a recommendation, when many other points were raised but not reflected in the recommendations.

“It was pulled out of everything that was said. It kind of hints at a new public process and I’m not sure if that’s permitted,” Brennan said.

Several ideas were raised as Del Bianco went through the pre-written report, and when the committee reached the “Additional
Considerations” section it tried to develop comments that highlighted concerns it wanted trustees to be aware of while not sounding like new recommendations.

In addition to future community consultation if there isn’t adequate funding for new schools in both Ancaster and Dundas, the committee added direction to ensure programs needed by students at Parkside continue to be offered to them somewhere even as student population drops at the school pegged for closure by 2015.

Ancaster High representative Heather MacDonald  wanted to add something about preserving the school’s existing auditorium and pool regardless of whether a new school is built or not.

“When I voted for a new Ancaster High, the intent was to keep the pool and auditorium,” said Deborah Knoll.
But Wibberley again cautioned the committee.
“You are straying close to another accommodation recommendation,” he said. “You have to be careful you’re not adding things you didn’t agree to previously.
“There are so many things we talked about over 13 months. Where do you stop adding things to additional considerations?”
The complete report will be presented to the board of trustees at its Feb. 13 meeting and should be available on the school board’s website (www.hwdsb.on.ca) that day.

Trustees will receive the ARC report and a recommendation from board staff at the same time. Both reports will be posted on the website by Feb. 13. Public deputations to the trustees will take place on Monday, April 2.

For more information, visit the board’s website.