September 30, 2010: The Halton District School Board and the Town of Halton Hills have finalized details of a deal that will release a portion of land designated as “surplus” at McKenzie-Smith Bennett Public School to the Town of Halton Hills.

“This deal meets the needs of the Halton Hills community by preserving lands for community use, and also meets the Halton District School Board requirement to be fiscally prudent and responsible in managing funds related to capital projects,” says David Euale, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board.

Negotiations with the Town of Halton Hills have been taking place for the past year, since October 2009 when the Board identified surplus properties to be released according to the Province’s regulation for capital funding.

“Every year, the Board identifies accommodation needs such as new school construction and renovations. This capital plan has to identify funding sources before it’s approved by the Ministry of Education,” says Steven Parfeniuk, Superintendent of Business for the Halton District School Board. “While the Ministry contributed more than $290 million to this Board’s capital plan, the Halton District School Board was still responsible for funding $40 million. School boards only have one option to generate funds, and that’s through the sale of surplus lands.”

In October 2009, the Halton District School Board identified 2.6 acres of land at McKenzie-Smith Bennett Public School as surplus to the needs of the Board.  The benchmark for land requirements for elementary schools is one acre per 100 students. There are approximately 680 students in JK to Grade 8 at McKenzie-Smith Bennett, however the site is Halton’s largest elementary site at 15 acres.

“The negotiated deal between the Board and the Town of Halton Hills has three distinct benefits for the students and residents of Halton Hills,” says David Euale, Director of Education. “The Board allowed the Town to obtain more land (5 acres) ensuring future protection of the property; the Board included the lease of the playing fields at $5 per year for 21 years, to ensure an additional level of protection to the Town’s interests; and the value of the property was significantly reduced (by approximately 40%) from its appraised value.”

“The Board is pleased to have struck this deal and continued our partnership with the Town of Halton Hills,” says Gerry Ockenden, Chair of the Board and Trustee for Halton Hills Wards 1 and 2.  “This has allowed the Board to meet its provincial obligations with respect to funding its capital plan, and still continue to provide capital improvements for the Town of Halton Hills.”

“In recent years, the Board has invested more than $40 million in capital infrastructure in Halton Hills, including the most recent $16 million renovation project at Georgetown District High School, a $1 million addition at the new Gardiner Public School, and the 2003 construction of Silver Creek which was the first new elementary school in Halton Hills in more than 30 years.”


For additional information, contact:
     David Euale, Director of Education
     Halton District School Board 
     (905) 335-3663    Toll free: 1 877 618-3456
     NOTE: Backgrounder attached