A meeting of Toronto District School Board officials at Hodgson Public School Monday night heard about “stop gap” plans to siphon students away from badly crowded Eglinton Public School. This summer two new classrooms will be built by methods known as “internal retrofits” of other space. And in 2019, the board proposes to send children in the Eglinton catchment east of Mt. Pleasant over to Maurice Cody instead. Cody school is close to capacity but officials feel sure they will not exceed 100 percent. The boundary shift was planned for 2022 but has been moved up in the face of the high-rise frenzy north of Eglinton. It is induced by the Crosstown LRT, a phenomenon seen right along the street, one that has many in Leaside weeping at the earthquake which is rocking their quiet world.
BANNOCKBURN SCHOOL
Longer term, the TDSB is putting its faith in the return of Bannockburn School from a private tenant in 2019. The school is off north Avenue Rd. There are, as officials made clear, a minimum of 300 spaces at Bannockburn. It is a long way from Eglinton and Mt. Pleasant but the scheme is to “domino” waves of students north through other north-end schools with the flow running towards Bannockburn. The plan will decrease the Eglinton school catchment north of Eglinton Ave. and lower the school’s population.
LINDSEY WALTON
Much of this is not enough for two Eglinton moms, Lindsey Walton and Michelle Fullerton. They call it a matter of fairness. Walton spoke to the meeting about the disproportionate overcapacity at Eglinton (probably 113 percent). The solution for 2018 of two additional classrooms is too little and too late. Eglinton PS is a postage stamp as TDSB schools go, maybe 1.6 acres compared to as much as five acres at Northlea Elementary and Middle School. The school yard is concrete with no turf and is used for parking on weekends. What the women call “catchment by income” is about low-income households. It is an issue that seems hard to fix. Walton says the TDSB should immediately rezone more of the Eglinton Junior catchment to the neighboring affluent schools that have more square footage. It’s a tricky job and quite possibly political dynamite. Foreign-born children represent 50 percent of the school’s student population.
CHILD CARE SPACES
Finally, Walton and Fullerton want a child-care enrolment of 63 children under four at Eglinton to find another home. It is, as they say, “valuable real estate” The TDSB could give them notice June 15 of this year and they would have to relocate for fall of 2019 but there are no such plans. Walton clearly feels stonewalled by the board on current capacity. She notes the imminent arrival of seven kindergarten classes for 2018 with 30 or more kids. The ministry’s hard cap is 32. The meeting was addressed by a number of TDSB personnel led by Superintendent Ian Allison. Ward 11 Trustee Shelley Laskin spoke as well. The principal and vice principal of Cody school, Robert Nigro and Adelia Vala were present as was Ward 22 Councillor Josh Matlow.
it’s not a day care. it’s a child care centre. it is not city run. it has been there for over 35 years serving the community with much needed child care.
Could the TDSB, the developers and thé province find away to include educational space – a satellite of Eglinton P.S. within the condos being built in the area, perhaps the one at Redpath and Eglinton OR in empty office space nearby the school. Maurice Cody is out of the area and across a busy, and at the moment dangerous Street as well as quite a long walk for 4-6 year olds.