Introduction

The York Region District School Board (YRDSB) is undertaking a review of trustee electoral areas in preparation for the 2014 Municipal elections.

The Board has retained consultants, Gladki Planning Associates and Partners in Community Building, to assist with this review and submit recommendations for consideration by the Board of Trustees.

The York Region District School Board is committed to engaging parents, public school supporters and other stakeholders in the review process. A number of approaches including web-based surveys, public meetings, and interviews will be used to ensure that the public and stakeholders have an opportunity to contribute to the review.

Information on the review will be updated on this site regularly. As the review progresses it will also enable access to reports and other materials, invite members of the public to meetings and presentations, and outline opportunities for public participation at critical junctures, including a web-based survey.

Purpose

Under Ontario Regulation 412/00, of the Education Act, Elections to and Representation on District School Boards, school boards are responsible for making recommendations to the Minister of Education regarding the composition and geographic allocation of trustee electoral areas. District school boards are also required to calculate and recommend to the Minister the number of trustees to be elected, based on the trustee determination and distribution formula contained in the regulation.

Background

York Region is one of the fastest growing regions in North America. Historically, its municipalities have been comprised of a mix of rural and suburban communities with traditional downtown areas. As the population continues to expand throughout the region, growth is being directed towards city centres and along major arterial roads. For example, Richmond Hill, Markham and Vaughan are projected to experience high population growth through urbanized development in targeted areas, while other communities will retain their suburban or rural character. The changing profile of the region has prompted the York Region District School Board to consider if any changes are required to trustee electoral areas for the 2014 Municipal Election.

The following chart depicts the current distribution of trustee electoral areas by number of schools, enrolment and population of English public school supporters.

trustee electoral areas

Review Profile

In making recommendations on the determination and distribution of trustee electoral areas, the review must take a number of factors into consideration including:

• Board priorities;
• how to optimally represent diverse communities;
• accommodations for future population and enrolment growth;
• formulas and tables as identified in Ontario Regulation 412/00, Elections to and Representation on District School Boards;
• the principle of "effective representation" as enunciated by the Supreme Court in its decision on the Carter case;
• physical boundaries, geographic areas, and communities of interest;
• experiences and best practices gained through other district school board reviews; and
• issues raised by stakeholders and the public during the consultation process.

Review Process

The review process is divided into the following four phases.

• Phase 1: Background Information.This phase focused on collecting all relevant background material including legislative and demographic information and issues identification. During this phase, interviews with trustees, staff, and other stakeholders were conducted
• Phase 2: Web Survey . A web survey was conducted during the month of March to provide members of the Board's community to respond to the following seven questions.

  1.	Are you an English Public School Elector in York Region?
  2.	In which trustee electoral area do you live?
  3.	In which municipal ward do you reside?
  4.	How effectively do you feel that you and your community are represented by your current trustee electoral area?
  5.	Please identify the specific reason(s) why you believe your current trustee electoral area is very effective/somewhat effective/ineffective/very effective in allowing for representation of you and your community.
  6.	Prior to participating in this survey, were you familiar with the boundaries of your trustee electoral area?
  7.	Please provide any additional comments on trustee electoral areas that you feel should be considered as part of the review.

• Phase 3: Presentation of Options. Based on the background information and input collected from members of the public, trustees, staff and other stakeholders, a report has been drafted outlining a number of options for the determination and distribution of trustee electoral areas. The options report was presented to the Board of Trustees at the April 17, 2012 Board Standing Committee Meeting and further discussed at the June 19, 2012 Board Standing Committee Meeting. A series of public meetings will be scheduled in Fall 2012 to obtain community feedback on the options report (dates to be determined).
• Phase 4: Findings and Recommendations. A report summarizing the review process and making recommendations on the determination and distribution of trustee electoral areas will be drafted and presented to the trustees of the YRDSB. The draft recommendations report will be shared online and public feedback welcomed.

• Phase 1 - November 2011 to February 2012
• Phase 2 - March 2012
• Phase 3 - April to October 2012
• Phase 4 - November to December 2012