The future of College Heights Secondary School is changing and it will become an alternative learning centre along with two others in UGDSB.
The story that was first reported on by GuelphToday last April when the proposal was first introduced at the committee level.
The first hub is College Heights where Grade 9 and 10 students will be phased out. Students in those grades now will continue through to graduation. There will be a hub in North Wellington at Norwell District Secondary School and one at Orangeville District Secondary School.
The programming that could be offered at the centres hasn’t been finalized.
While the grades are being phased out "... we would start to look at the potential to develop different programs that the College site could lead throughout the board,” said Carlo Zen, superintendent of education, in an interview last week.
College Heights as it stands now is an alternative education high school with dual credit programs like Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and Specialist High Skills Major. Along with other offerings like tech courses. It also provides students with the courses they need to graduate along with.
The capacity at College Heights is 507. Enrolment has declined since 2010 and there are currently 77 Grade 9 students, 88 Grade 10 students, 79 Grade 11 students and 114 Grade 12/Grade 12 plus students.
Part of why enrolment has declined was because Grade 9 was de-streamed in the board in 2021. This means applied and academic courses are no longer options for Grade 9 students. Now students have a single course code or the option of locally developed.
Enrolment impacts and pressures could continue when the new secondary school in Guelph's south end opens.
There aren’t concerns about transportation for how students would get to the hubs since hybrid learning is available with technology, said Zen.
The report on the alternative learning centres was presented at a policy and priorities meeting on Dec. 5. Zen didn’t want to get too far ahead by hammering out details until there was direction from the board.
At the board meeting on Tuesday Trustee Laurie Whyte made an amendment to a motion to have a quarterly report be presented to either the board or the policy and priorities committee on all Grade 9 students. Including supports for students who may be at risk of not being successful in the 2024/2025 school year and for Grade 9 and 10 students in the 2025/2026 school year.
The amendment was added to the motion that the Reimagining Alternative Education report from Dec. 5 be approved for action. All trustees were in favour. Trustee Robin Ross was not in attendance.
The thing about the alternative learning centres is it could give students an “... offer that our bricks and mortar schools couldn't offer,” said Zen.
In theory the centres could offer a robotics program, computer science, business and more if enough students were interested, he said.
Zen has been working on this project for alternative learning for the last 18 months, said Peter Sovran, director of education at UGDSB, in the policy and priorities meeting.
Zen is retiring Dec. 22 and superintendent Peggy Blair will take over the file. He’ll be looking from the sidelines, he said. “And we have great folks in the board. And I know they'll make great decisions and choices if the proposal goes through,” Zen said.
The ultimate goal is for all students at UGDSB to have access to alternative learning, be successful and have their own pathways, said Zen.
Starting September 2024 incoming Grade 9 students will go to their local school, said in a UGDSB press release.
