Latest news with #Hamilton-WentworthDistrictSchoolBoard
Hamilton Spectator
19-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
With students and staff on summer break, millions of dollars of construction work is underway at Hamilton schools
School's out for the summer, but construction workers are in. Dozens of projects are underway at Hamilton's two largest boards, which say they work to minimize disruption to learning by completing school renewal in July and August. 'There is a significant amount of work happening,' a Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) spokesperson said in an email. 'Where at all possible, we complete the work over the summer.' At Hamilton's public school board, student washrooms at six schools are expected to get a combined $3.35-million facelift, and two schools — Lincoln Alexander and Lisgar — will have windows and doors replaced for a budget of around $1.4 million. And there is paving work on parking lots at Eastdale and Ancaster High and on a playground at Westwood, costing an estimated $1.25 million. Other HWDSB projects planned for this summer include: A handful of smaller projects, budgeted between $50,000 and $250,000, include universal washrooms, accessibility features like ramps and accessible stalls and showers, stage lifts and music room renovations. The Catholic board has two major summer projects: an 11-classroom addition at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School on the Mountain and a five-classroom, three child-care room addition at Guardian Angels Catholic Elementary School in Waterdown. 'Both projects are well underway and expected to be completed over the summer, with occupancy in the fall,' spokesperson Debbie McGreal-Dinning said in an email. Meanwhile, the public board is starting work on three new elementary schools set to open in September 2027: The new Upper Stoney Creek building will replace the existing Tapleytown Elementary School. Tendering is anticipated to start this summer. Planned additions to Janet Lee and Mount Hope will added student and child-care spaces for a combined multi-year budget of about $16.8 million. The HWDSB projected a $97,028,000 capital budget for 2025-2026 to build and renovate schools, create infrastructure for child care and improve the condition of existing buildings. The HWCDSB's projected capital budget is $26.7 million . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton police advance relationship with public board as Ontario eyes return of officers to schools
Hamilton police are reaffirming their commitment to a constructive relationship with the city's public school board as a provincial bill proposing the return of uniformed officers to Ontario schools inches through the legislature. In a report presented to Hamilton's police board on Thursday, the service detailed discussions held with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) in March. These talks explored voluntary partnerships focused on promoting safety and youth engagement, including co-op placements, off-site educational programs, and student involvement in police events. The meeting came, in part, following Coun. Esther Pauls' October motion to the police board , which asked the service to investigate ways to advance its relationship with the school board. Pauls, whose son is a police officer who previously worked in schools, has been a vocal critic of HWDSB's 2020 decision to end its long-standing officer liaison program. This program was scrapped following concerns from racialized students. Coun. Esther Pauls, whose son is a police officer who once worked in schools, introduced a motion in October asking the service to look for ways to strengthen its relationship with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. But despite renewed dialogue, Chief Frank Bergen stressed police have no say on officers in schools — even as Bill 33 looks to compel Ontario's school boards to accommodate police programs. 'Where we are today (with HWDSB) is healthy because we're having a conversation and we're looking at what can we reimagine about that relationship,' Bergen told the police board Thursday. 'We also want everyone to understand that we serve at the pleasure of the (school) board, and we will not impose ourselves onto a board that is not ready.' Whether that approach would persist under the Supporting Children and Students Act remains to be seen. If passed, the legislation, which is yet to undergo a third reading or vote, would compel Ontario school boards to allow school resource officers (SRO) onto school property if a local police service offered them — regardless of board or community preference. HWDSB didn't respond to a request for comment Friday. The Catholic board still has a police liaison program. The plan has spurred backlash from critics who argue it undermines the autonomy of school boards. 'There simply has not been enough research in the Canadian context to make the claim that SRO programming in schools is justified,' Kojo Damptey, a McMaster University instructor and former head of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, said in a delegation to the police board Thursday. Speaking to the recommendation that police advance their relationship with HWDSB, Damptey told the police board that many Black, Indigenous and racialized students don't feel safe with officers in schools. He also argued police presence in schools doesn't correlate with youth crime rates. 'While the partnership has developed between the school board and police, one of the things that's missing at the board level is hearing from students about their perspectives,' Damptey said. In response to Damptey, Pauls pointed to a seven-year-old study from Carleton University , which interviewed roughly 1,300 Grade 9 students from five Peel Region high schools about SROs. The 2018 study found police presence in schools made students feel safer and reduced crime and bullying. 'They're less stressed, they miss less school, are able to learn better, mentally they are healthier,' vice-chair Pauls said. 'Students want to feel safe at school.' Peel police announced the dissolution of its SRO program in November 2020. As Bill 33 remains in the legislative process, Hamilton's police board has directed Bergen to maintain open lines of communication with HWDSB and find 'collaborative opportunities that align with both organizations' objectives.' Among other approved recommendations in the report are that police develop tailored programs with school leadership and establish channels to get feedback from students, staff and the broader community. Police acknowledged Bill 33's potential impact, noting in the report that it 'will help guide how we fulfill our legislative responsibilities moving forward.' 'Our approach emphasizes voluntary participation and collaboration, ensuring that any engagement is welcomed and beneficial to the school community,' police said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
28-06-2025
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
Some local school boards are fully air-conditioned. Why can't HWDSB cool its schools?
Students at an east Mountain public school were removed from class on Tuesday as temperatures in the building continued to climb amid a record-breaking heat wave . A 'faulty' air conditioner left the school with a single cool space, the gym — not enough for all Cecil B. Stirling students — the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) said, and students were relocated to a nearby high school. But this elementary school is just 20 per cent air-conditioned to begin with, one of dozens across the city's public school board that isn't fully cooled. With temps feeling as high as 46, parents cite health concerns in schools with no A/C. Overall, more than half of HWDSB schools are not fully cooled, some with as little as five per cent A/C coverage. Meanwhile, schools at some neighbouring boards are fully or almost fully cooled. All Hamilton and Halton Catholic schools and nearly 90 per cent of Halton public schools are fully air-conditioned, boards say. The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board says all student learning spaces, except hard-to-cool gyms, are air-conditioned; its public counterpart, the Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB), says all but two of its schools have 'complete or partial cooling solutions.' 'We recognize the importance of maintaining comfortable learning environments for students and staff,' spokesperson Ryan Strang said in an email. The board is prioritizing schools with the greatest needs, and incorporating A/C into all new major construction projects, he said. It's unclear how many GEDSB schools are fully cooled. Why, then, can HWDSB not cool its schools? Part of the reason is that the board has some of the oldest schools in the region, and maybe the province, associate director Matthew Gerard said. Other boards, he said, have likely grown more than the HWDSB in recent years, which typically means more consolidating and new construction, he said. The HWDSB's aging fleet requires more work, and therefore more funding, than newer buildings. Funding for improvement and renewal is allocated by the province based on the condition of facilities, as opposed to the number of students, Gerard said. 'It's not necessarily a smoothed trend line,' he said, noting smaller boards may get proportionately more funding. The school board said earlier this month installing A/C in schools without it could cost up to $200 million, money the board doesn't have to spend. The board has an existing facilities renewal backlog of about $615 million, about half of it deemed urgent. 'There's definitely a greater need based on our facilities condition than we have the resources to sustain,' Gerard said. Geography plays a role, too. Being in a largely urban area where land is precious, the board has to 'build up a lot more than out,' adding to construction costs, he said. Tenants at 101 Governors Rd. say a weeks-long air conditioner failure at the seven-storey Meanwhile, its Catholic counterpart has been slowly adding A/C to its fleet over decades and became fully air-conditioned in the early 2020s. Since then, the board has focused on replacing window units with better equipment, a job they expect to wrap up this summer. 'We've been tracking for the last several years areas that haven't been addressed, and then year by year we try to allocate some of our capital,' facilities manager Paul Ferrie said. In the last five years, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) has spent more than $23 million on HVAC, nearly $8 million of it on A/C. It's unclear how much the HWDSB has spent in the same time frame. The public board didn't share its HVAC expenditures by deadline on Tuesday. Former HWCDSB chair Pat Daly, a trustee of four decades, said the board has long prioritized top-notch facilities. Ferrie said the board's relatively young fleet — an estimated 40 per cent of the Catholic board buildings are less than 40 years old — works in its favour. Managing capital needs is a balancing act, Ferrie said, noting the board works to address needs before they become a problem. The Catholic board has a backlog of around $166 million. 'It is critical,' he said. 'Waiting for failure isn't a great strategy because you can be very vulnerable.' At Hamilton's public board, classrooms and schools without A/C can close when indoor temperatures surpass 45 C with humidity. At 40 C, staff are expected to begin to monitor students for potential health issues. Stirling is the board's first heat-related closure this year. 'We knew breaching the threshold was inevitable, so we were as proactive as possible,' spokesperson Allison Reynolds said in a message. The temperature threshold was derived from guidance from the Ministry of Education and Environment Canada, Gerard said. He noted these are guidelines only, and principals have local autonomy to address heat at their own schools. Some say the 45 C mark is too high. Extreme heat can put kids' health at risk and have 'harmful effects' on their brains, Erica Phipps, executive director of the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE), said in an email. 'This is not just a matter of comfort,' she said. 'This is about children's well-being, their ability to learn and their futures.' Heat, the organization said in an April 24 news release, 'deepens inequities.' Some students live in areas with less green space, denser housing and poor access to cool spaces, Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) lawyer Jacqueline Wilson said in the release. 'Many attend schools without air conditioning or outdoor shade — conditions that turn already hot days into dangerous ones,' she said. The organization is calling for a maximum temperature standard of 26 C indoors, as well as investment into A/C, shade and other cooling solutions. Last year was the hottest year on record. 'The time to act is now,' Phipps said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
21-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton's Catholic school board approves $467M budget for 2025-26
When Pat Daly took helm in 1991, Hamilton's Catholic school board was running a 'significant' deficit. 'Dramatic' cuts were made to financially stabilize the organization, and the board committed to do everything in their power to not let it happen again, the outgoing chair told trustees on Tuesday evening. The board approved a balanced operating budget of $466,963,201, with a small surplus, at its June 17 committee of the whole meeting, Daly's last after 40 years as trustee. Trustees commended finance staff, who faced challenges in delivering a budget this year due to the delayed allocation of core education funding — the board's primary source — as a result of the provincial election. The 2025-26 estimate is up about 2.4 per cent over the previous year, and leaves a surplus of $11,471. The budget is based on six 'pillars,' including excellence, dignity, good stewardship, faith formation and mental health, according to the report. By far the largest expense is salaries and wages for staff, accounting for 71 per cent of the budget. These are the board's top operational expenses: Not included in this list is amortization at about $24 million. A growing number of students is expected to learn at Hamilton's Catholic schools next year, with the board estimating an enrolment of about 31,336 students, up about 502 students from the previous year. The majority of the growth is at high schools, which will grow by about 312 students, or a 2.9 per cent bump. Meanwhile, at the public board, secondary enrolment is expected to decrease slightly. To support students, the Catholic board is adding about 19 full-time positions. In 2025-26, staff is estimated to cost: Positions added this year include an Applied Behavior Analysis facilitator, two elementary math facilitators, 1.5 secondary math facilitators and an elementary special-education teacher, among others. Additions are 'really good news,' Daly said. The board also approved a capital budget of about $26.7 million to renovate and build new schools and improve the condition of existing buildings. A small percentage of this budget is allocated to 'tangible' assets, like student devices and technology upgrades in schools. The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board approved a 2025-26 budget of $751 million on Monday. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
14-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
HWDSB explores opening standalone Indigenous school — an idea that dates back 25 years
Hamilton's public school board is exploring the creation of a standalone Indigenous school to give students from kindergarten to Grade 12 'cultural immersion' while learning the Ontario curriculum. This next step aims to contribute to ongoing truth and reconciliation efforts in education, Indigenous education lead Jolene John said at a June 5 program committee meeting . 'The need for an Indigenous school has been consistently voiced by Indigenous students, families and community organizations,' she said. Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board program committee trustees supported the move to develop programming and work toward launching the school 'alongside the local Indigenous community,' the recommendation reads. The school, an idea that dates back 25 years, would be open to Indigenous and non-Indigenous students who want to learn 'from rich Indigenous world views and teaching and learning pedagogies,' John said. It would be based on the existing Learning Nest program that offers First Nations, Inuit and Métis high school students a chance to earn credits through learning experiences, including teachings, language and participation in cultural activities. Students would be able to choose to stay at their home school or attend the Indigenous school, which John said would likely be set up in an existing HWDSB building. Costs associated with starting the school have not yet been shared. The framework for the school will be developed in partnership with the board's Indigenous Education Circle and local non-profit Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg, and adhere to Ontario curriculum expectations. In a 2024 survey of the Native Youth Advancement with Education Hamilton (NYA:WEH) initiative to help keep kids in school, 84 per cent of caregivers saw improvements in students' attendance, grades and behaviour. Eighty-seven per cent said it helped them stay in school, and 90 per cent reported 'increased pride in their Indigenous identity.' The results, which also included recommendations for endangered Mohawk and Ojibwe languages, 'reaffirmed' the need to expand programming, John said. John said say they're exploring a partnership with Ohsweken language school Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa to ensure adequate staffing, which has been a challenge in existing HWDSB Mohawk language programs. The board says it's only aware of one other Indigenous school in the province, Kâpapâmahchakwêw — Wandering Spirit School at the Toronto District School Board. Trustee Maria Felix Miller, who said two of her Ward 3 schools have significant Indigenous populations, asked what impact the school would have on the 'vibrant' programming that already exists. 'The intention is not to pull back from community schools, it's really about what can we do to enrich them,' she said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
