News Releases

Public and Catholic School Boards Plan Transfers 19 School Properties by 2014
Sale of schools brings $55 - $70 million to TDSB

Toronto, ON, Wednesday, December 4, 2002 — An agreement was announced today between the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) which will bring as much as $70 million to the TDSB over the next 12 years to renew the Board's aging schools. Under the agreement, the Catholic Board will purchase all or parts of as many as 19 public school properties for a total price estimated by the TDSB at between $55 million and $70 million. The pact will give the TCDSB ownership of many schools it now leases at a cost saving of $1.5 million per year as well as other schools and portions of properties, which are needed to meet enrolment growth in some areas of the city. The TDSB will deposit revenues from the sales into a Pupil Accommodation Allocation Reserve Fund (PAARF), which can be used only for major capital works such as school construction.

"No schools will be closed as a result of the agreement," said TDSB Director of Education, David Reid. "No TDSB students will be transferred as a result of the sales. Current tenants of leased schools, other than the TCDSB, including several private schools, will be offered alternative accommodation where feasible. Many of these tenants may not be affected for several years," he added.

"This agreement is the culmination of many months of discussions between our two boards," said TCDSB Director of Education Tom Donovan. "Staff have worked diligently to arrive at a plan that would be mutually acceptable, and that would ensure that the needs of students from both of our boards can be met in the best way possible."

The agreement, approved by TDSB Supervisor Paul Christie, involves 19 TDSB properties. All of the properties currently leased were closed by legacy school boards prior to amalgamation in 1998. The current TDSB board of trustees previously approved the disposition of six properties while Mr. Christie approved the disposition of the remaining 13 properties.

"This is a good, sound financial agreement for both boards and for hundreds of children," said TDSB Chair Donna Cansfield. "The Toronto District School Board receives money that it greatly needs to build schools for its students. The Catholic board receives ownership of schools it was leasing plus several other properties and will share still more space with our Board."

"The transfer of schools from one board to another allows us to accommodate children in areas of growth, provide stability to school communities in leased facilities and avoids the huge costs of new school construction," said TCDSB Chair Joseph Carnevale. "We are also very pleased for the opportunity to share facilities with the TDSB for the betterment of all students in those neighbourhoods."

The agreement to transfer the properties results from discussions between the boards and their staffs, which began early last year.

Six of the properties are being sold to the Catholic board for an already negotiated price of $20.07 million. Of these six, four properties will be purchased for $13.57 million by the Catholic board and transferred over the next six months.

The remaining properties will be transferred over the following 11 ½ years with prices set at 'fair market value,' according to the agreement.

While legal and appraisal costs are still to be determined, the TDSB estimates the total price of the sales will be between $55 and $70 million between 2002 and 2014.

The first four properties to be transferred within six months are:

1. Green Meadows Public School (Eglinton/Islington), which is leased, and operating as Father Serra School. This school has an agreed purchase price of $5 million.

2. Yvonne Public School (Wilson Road/HWY 400), at $4.5 million. This school is leased.

3. 1.5 acres of the currently leased Gooderham Public School (Lawrence Avenue East/Pharmacy Avenue) site will be transferred to the Catholic board in return for $1.07 million and the site will be shared by both boards.

4. Melody Public School (Wilson Road/Weston Road) will be a joint venture of the boards with the TDSB receiving $3 million from the TCDSB. This school is now leased to another organization.

The other two properties among the six for which values have been established are:

5. Oakburn/Avondale (HWY 401/Yonge Street). This school is currently operating and could become a joint use facility at a price to the TCDSB of $5 million.

6. Mimico Adult Centre (Lakeshore Boulevard/Royal York Road). Joint use facility Mimico/St. Leo sites at a price of $1.5 million to the TCDSB.

The TCDSB will buy the following properties at prices to be determined:

1. Danesbury Public School (Lawrence Avenue West/Dufferin Street) operating now, under lease, as Sts. Cosmas and Damian.

2. Spenvalley Public School (Sheppard Avenue West/Jane Street), which is leased and operated by the TCDSB as Blessed Margherita.

3. Roding Public School (Wilson Avenue/Keele Street), leased and operating as St. Conrad.

4. Heatherbrae Public School (Albion Road/Kipling), leased and operating as Msgr. Percy Johnson.

The Catholic board is given an irrevocable option to buy the following properties in their entirety or in part, at prices to be determined:

1. The Elms Junior Middle School (Albion Road/Islington Avenue). This is an operating public school and the Catholic board will share this site.

2. Queens Court Public School (QEW/Islington Avenue). This school is leased to another organization.

3. Page Public School (Finch Avenue West/Bayview Avenue). This school is leased to another organization.

The Catholic board also receives an irrevocable option to buy an interest in the following properties at prices to be determined later. In each case, a joint feasibility study will be done to determine if the school is suitable for joint development and proportions to be shared:

1. Whitfield Public School (Steeles Avenue West/Islington Avenue), leased and operating as Venerable John Merlini, will become a joint use site.

2. Albion Gardens Public School (Albion Road/Islington Avenue), leased and operating as St. John Vianney, becomes a joint use site.

3. Castlebar Public School (The Queensway/Islington Avenue). This school is currently closed and leased to another organization but will become a joint use site for the TDSB and TCDSB.

4. Bannockburn Public School (Wilson Road/Avenue Road), which is currently leased to another organization.

5. Warden Avenue Public School (Danforth Road/Warden Avenue) which TDSB operates and which will become a joint use facility.

6. Richview Centre (Eglinton Avenue West/Kipling Avenue). This property is closed and leased to several organizations.

The agreement allows the Toronto District School Board to repurchase a school within 25 years if the Catholic board does not use the property to accommodate students for any 12-month period.

For more information, contact: