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Official decision on CASS to come June 12

The final decision is set for June 12. That’s the date that the Algoma District School Board (ADSB) will make the final decision on moving grades seven and eight to Central Algoma Secondary School.

The final decision is set for June 12.

That’s the date that the Algoma District School Board (ADSB) will make the final decision on moving grades seven and eight to Central Algoma Secondary School.

Should the Algoma District School Board of Trustees accept the recommendation that grades seven and eight from all Central Algoma elementary schools be re-located to CASS, effective September 2013.

“With a seven to 12 model, the way the curriculum is being taught in earlier grades, along with the requirement to have access to facilities such as science labs and tech labs and if kids can access them earlier than they normally would, it would be beneficial,” said ADSB Director of Education Mario Turco. “We’re fortunate in Algoma that we can offer that option.

During Tuesday night’s ADSB meeting, trustee Larry Pallot spoke of enrolment numbers that would be in line with those at Superior Heights, which offers a similar program.

The numbers would be in line though, without students from Thessalon, which is the lone area in Central Algoma that has “relatively healthy” enrolment numbers.

Pallot brought forward the idea of not giving Thessalon residents the choice of moving to CASS.

“How important is it to have the Thessalon students go to CASS to fill two more classes when they could get a very good education in Thessalon themselves?” Pallot questioned during the meeting.

“We had three options for Thessalon,” Turco said following the meeting. “Either everybody goes (to CASS); everybody stays; or you give choice. I don’t think you can have everybody stay because there will be people that want to go to Central Algoma in the seven-to-12 program. That’s going to create programs for Thessalon and for us in that it creates uncertainty in how many kids are coming in. To give choice, that creates problems because again it creates uncertainty. The other option is to have everybody go and we believe that the program that’s offered at Central Algoma will be of a superior quality.”

Senior Administration were given four options to consider, including the re-location.

Among the other possibilities were:

  • Option A: Continue with a JK-8 school model in Central Algoma (do not relocate 7/8 program at this time)
  • Option B: Provide choice for parents in the Thessalon community as they have relatively healthy numbers of grade seven and eight students. This option would not be provided for other communities due to low enrolment.
  • Option C: Give all families in Central Algoma a choice as to whether to have their children in grade seven and eight stay in elementary school or attend CASS
  • Option D: Move to a JK-6 school model in all six elementary schools and a 7-12 school model at CASS

Although the report has officially been accepted by the board, the ADSB is still accepting input from the public until May 30 while reviewing the document.

The ADSB board of trustees will continue to discuss the report at their monthly committee of the whole meeting on May 22 in Hornepayne, before making a final decision in June.
 


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Brad Coccimiglio

About the Author: Brad Coccimiglio

A graduate of Loyalist College’s Sports Journalism program, Brad Coccimiglio’s work has appeared in The Hockey News as well as online at FoxSports.com in addition to regular freelance work with SooToday before joining the team full time.
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