High School Truth- Next Steps

This may be the last discussion post I start for a while about our much needed High School. I do think addressing the Mayors current strategy is important though. It all has to do with being on a list.

Where are we on “the list”?

When our Mayor and Council chose to propose their own school and use the Catholic Board as their vessel to accomplish this, they had the Catholic School Board put them as number two on their “list” of needs. But where was the Wasaga Beach Catholic High School on the Catholic Boards list prior to the Town reaching out? Well I asked the Catholic School Board Trustee a few questions earlier this year and my questions remain unanswered. If anyone can get information about the need for a Catholic High School in Wasaga Beach prior to the Towns big offer, I would love to see it.

It is important to understand the history of the use of student enrôlement numbers prior to this past year. The big dispute the last time Mayor Smith was in office was around using Catholic Board numbers to support the push HE had for our public High School back in 2014-18. So, this time around he did it in reverse. Instead of trying to get a public high school with Catholic numbers included, it seems he may have used public school enrollment to support his Catholic School bid.

To be clear…. there are not enough students enrolled in the Catholic Board from Wasaga Beach to justify the funding that was awarded. It is perplexing to say the least.

But, the BIG complaint from all of the Mayors political support networks in the weeks leading up to the Ministry of Educations decision was; The reason this decision was going to be made was because the Catholic Board rated us #2 and the Public Board #12. It’s convenient to use these numbers in the way they have but, it just shows their unnecessary manipulation of public opinion.

At a recent Council meeting the Mayor and Council decided to send a letter to the SCDSB to request (they may insist) that they rank us number one or two in the next round of funding. Well that’s a pretty convenient demand, as anyone could make that request at this time and probably get it. After the progress made by the SCDSB regarding this build issue, they are poised to be in that position anyway.

This unnecessary letter is simply political grandstanding.

Personally, I do NOT believe our placement on a list should be as a result of political pressure, but that is exactly what our Mayor and Council want the SCDSB to agree to do. This dispute has resulted in Mayor Smiths previous Administration being told to only communicate through lawyers and has created a lot of “bad blood” in the relationship with the SCDSB.

The 2018-22 term of office was spent patching those relationships. Council and Staff knew that permission to proceed with the long process of a land purchase had been approved for the SCDSB and the truth was, a High School was imminent. We simply had to keep pushing forward with our growth. FINALLY, the numbers made sense for us to be on their Capital Funding list. This was NOT due to political pressure, but instead due to proper established protocols for growth. In fact, a little talked about fact is that our now Deputy Mayor Tanya Snell was previously our Public School Board Trustee and has been quoted during her term discussing the fact “there is also a serviced site ready for the high school and its ready to go”.

So, with all of the knowledge and experience as our school board trustee, why did our deputy mayor and the Council we should presume she would advise abandon the SCDSB proposal in favour of working in partnership with the Catholic Board.

Maybe, just maybe… they knew something we didn’t regarding the Ministers preferences for funding.

Back to the list…

Our Council wants to insist we be at the top of a list next time. I plan on following this closely because we now have a new Minister of Education. The Ministry of Education has established criteria in recent years regarding being on the top of the list. It is perplexing how the Catholic Board got their funding considering these points. They do not want to waste time so they established three basic needs to be at the top.

First, you had to demonstrate a need- SCDSB, Check. The numbers made sense after previous Councils facilitated the growth required. SMCDSB, Not so much.
Second, you had to have a design- SCDSB Check, The SCDSB has an extensive Planning Department and are prepared to build when given the green light. Tweaking the design of recent builds is easier than planning from scratch. SMCDSB, Not so much- Artist Renderings.
Third, you had to have land purchased- SCDSB, Check. That process has been in the works for years and was nearing completion. I understand THIS process is almost complete. SMCDSB, Not so much, Developer is engaged and is part of the TEAM, but no announcement regarding purchase.

So, even before this year’s decisions, the SCDSB was well positioned to be awarded funding to proceed. All the boxes were checked.

It’s difficult to openly discuss the position of the Catholic Boards proposal regarding these three criteria as their trustee does not answer requests.

But now… Mayor Smith wants us moved to the top of the list! It’s going to be pretty easy to claim victory on that one because we are basically there.

So, how are these lists compiled? My understanding is that statistical information, safety concerns, population projections and other “constantly changing data” is used to help school boards establish their priorities.

The Simcoe County District School Board has a broad geographical area to include in their considerations.

Our Mayor and members of our Council who want to deflect from the fact that THEY chose one board over the other, essentially promoting their own school OVER the SCDSB proposal. Now they are doubling down on that deflection strategy by continuing to ask the SCDSB to concede to their wishes and put us to number one or two on their future list.

Mayor Smith arbitrarily moved this issue of forwarding a letter to the school board himself, saying he spoke for all of Council unanimously. No vote was held.

In looking at the Mayors political strategy, he wants the electorate to believe HIS pressure is what will get our High School built.

Technically, yes we were number 12 on a list, but projects on that list were not all new High Schools.

Some items on the list did get funding, so without any significant change, we will automatically move up on that list until we are in fact at #1.

But to be clear, if the Mayor and Council do not support a project, it will not get funding. This was proven by the recent denial of funding for the SCDSB because the Mayors other more pressing project did get funding. I pointed out recently that a school can be 10/10 on a list and will get funding with enough political wrangling. Minister Lecce has said as much, when discussing his previous funding of Shanty Bay. But the political Wrangling this year by our Council did NOT get behind our SCDSB proposal.

Let’s look at the SCDSB list to fully understand what the Mayor is asking of them …

Here is the list from the 2023 Submissions;

New Angus elementary school (growth accommodation) This priority received funding in 2024
New Barrie SE elementary #1 (Dean Ave., growth accommodation) This priority received funding in 2024
New Alcona elementary school (growth accommodation)… This priority received funding in 2024
Nantyr Shores Secondary School (growth accommodation addition) This priority received funding in 2024
Warnica Public School (growth accommodation replacement school)
Emma King Public School (growth accommodation addition)
New Tottenham elementary school (growth accommodation)
Ardagh Bluffs Public School (growth accommodation addition)
Baxter Central Public School (growth accommodation addition)
New Stayner elementary school (growth accommodation)
Nottawa Elementary School (growth accommodation addition)
New Wasaga Beach secondary school (growth accommodation)

So, when you remove the priorities that were funded in this recent round of funding, a new picture is revealed. Unless there are significant changes to the statistics between now and when the next round of funding requests are called for, this will be the new list;

Warnica Public School
Emma King Public School
New Tottenham elementary school
Ardagh Bluffs Public School
Baxter Central Public School
New Stayner elementary school
Nottawa Elementary School
New Wasaga Beach SECONDARY school

A few key points are important in considering placement on the next list.

First, If Mayor Smiths Hub School is built, it is possible the numbers may change. If 300 students normally attending the public school system choose to attend the Catholic System in order to stay local, we may not have the numbers any longer. It may delay things for a few years.

Next, if the numbers do NOT change because the Mayors Hub School doesn’t get built, we may automatically be the top Secondary School priority simply based on last year’s list.

A lot of the “what if’s” will be largely decided by when the government puts out the next call for funding.

The most recent call for submissions was the first one in 6 years. IF, there is another call for submissions by the ministry, we can start to analyze what puts elementary over secondary, but… we are well poised to be the highest ranking Secondary School on the list.

Finally, I think it is important that these decisions are made with integrity. That means that when a municipality uses numbers to support a cause, those numbers should be numbers they know to be true. A few months ago I watched our CAO speak and I was concerned about the numbers he indicated were submitted to the Ministry of Education. In the video, the audience seemed more amused than concerned that he said the following. (Take a moment and watch the video clip.)

CAO McNeill- “We’re not going to be 2000 units… for the purpose of talking to the Ministry of Education, it didn’t hurt to show that number, to show them that we’re growing”

It sounds to me like the proposal to build our hub may have been built with some pretty good imagination.

https://youtube.com/…/Ugkxju3ewCZjLKCeoJFE6OzZ8IoCvOEpC…

In closing today, I’m happy the Municipality is getting a new Kindergarden to Grade Twelve Catholic School.

I’m very happy for the educators and the students in the Catholic elementary stream because this build will lighten the extreme load on their present system. (It is difficult to know if the need will be as extreme after the new Sunnidale Public School slated to open in the fall opens its doors)

I am very concerned for the students and educators in the present Catholic Boards Secondary stream. From what I have read, the numbers for increased seats in an under enrolled, declining enrolment secondary school system are alarming.

In regards to the Public School System, I am glad that those in charge continue to operate with integrity and operate with the financial constraints imposed on them by the Ministry of Education.

The public Elementary School system is about to experience redistribution with the opening of our new school. The design of that school is ready for expansion if needed so future capital growth may be less of a burden.

The public Secondary School system is poised to rapidly move forward with plans to build the long awaited Wasaga Beach Secondary School. Land is purchased, need is established, design is ready. If our Council had been 100% behind THIS proposal in 2023/24, it may be a done deal.

Now that the Board of Education has done all of the heavy lifting, it will be interesting to see how their eventual “success” will be heralded as a “victory” by the very Municipal Government that eliminated their chances this past year and may have jeopardized their chances in the near future.

It is my belief after reviewing everything involved with the high school situation that if the Ontario Government rolls out another round of funding prior to the next Provincial Election, Wasaga Beach will finally get funding for our long awaited high school. But… and thus is a big one, The mayor and Council will have to show their support for the SCDSB and it needs to be stronger than a letter submitted two weeks after the proposals go in like this past round.

It’s time. I hope to share more when the SCDSB closes on the land deal to build our High School. Let’s hope it happens soon!