AN ACCOMODATION REVIEW committee (ARC) is underway as a prerequisite to redeveloping Davisville Junior Public School, and depending on the recommendations, the school could develop in much the same way as North Toronto Collegiate Institute did, but the Toronto District School Board said the school could also close.
Daryl Sage, board director of strategy and planning, said there is a “possibility” the school could be closed and combined with another school within the ARC area or, if necessary, undergo redevelopment by partitioning a piece of the land.
“It’s possible that the school could be relocated to another site,” Sage said, or if the school remains on the site, it would be redeveloped to encompass the attendance boundaries of some other school.
Currently the school is undercapacity, sitting at 51 per cent, but numbers are expected to jump to 94 per cent capacity by 2018 once early learning is factored in and the French immersion attracts more students. Redeveloping could mean adding on grades 7 and 8 and bringing in students from another school within the ARC area, which includes schools from Oriole Parkway to Bayview Avenue, up to John Fisher Junior Public School and as far south as Davisville Junior Public School and Hodgson Senior Public School.
Selling the property, which could be valued at $10 to $12 million according to a local realtor, would help to offset the TDSB budget deficit, which is what Coun. Michael Walker believes the board is trying to do.
“This isn’t one of those critical sites that has to be looked at to be sold off because we have too many schools and too few kids,” Walker said.
School board trustee Josh Matlow said before the board moves forward with a redevelopment project it would need approval from the school and local community groups for referral to the board for consideration.
The next public meeting is Jan. 17, North Toronto Collegiate Institute.
