Our capital needs have increased over the past ten years due to a continuously growing student population, which is estimated to grow by 2 to 3 percent annually. Many of our buildings have reached or even exceeded their maximum capacity, highlighting the need to acquire new facilities to meet our boards’ needs.
Unfortunately, capital projects in Ontario are not always straightforward. In high-density development areas, opportunities to build new schools can be limited and very costly. This necessitates exploring alternative capital solutions, such as affordable projects that allow for shared sites with other community partners, while still meeting our standards. It is crucial that all our capital projects support and provide a high-quality French-language Catholic education. We will not consider shared projects if they compromise our mission, identity, the vitality of our teaching, or the standards of French Catholic education.
The AFOCSC remains a key partner of the Ministry of Education to offer solutions to advance capital projects and meet the needs of students and the education community.
Based on requests for new facilities, our school boards submit an annual list of priorities to the Ministry of Education. It is important that these priorities and their sequence are adhered to. What is the use of establishing priority lists if they do not serve to advance the important needs of each of our school boards?
We asked the government to be a more collaborative partner and consult with us on future projects.
We demand that the Minister of Education inform us in advance of the powers, rights, and obligations he intends to include in his future education regulation during consultation periods, which will allow constructive improvement of the legislation.
French-language Catholic school boards have the constitutional rights to obtain and possess independent Catholic and French learning space. And that the obtained space cannot be developed or modified to suit another public institution without consent.
Our greatest challenge is to maintain locations to serve and accommodate our staff and students. We must be able to ensure the distinct character of French-language Catholic schools, as well as the quality of their education. Thus, it is pertinent that “separate” school facilities must be the norm. Shared capital projects with entities other than French Catholic ones increase the assimilation of our community, lead to confusion, and affect our education standards.
The creation of mixed facilities with community organizations (daycare, community center, sports center, library, care center, retirement home, housing tower, and others…) that would maintain the identity and values of the French-language Catholic schools are projects to be considered and promoted with the prior support of the concerned communities.
