Long-Term Facilities Plan

Long-Term Facilities Plan

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) is committed to providing equitable, affordable, and sustainable learning facilities to support student achievement and well being. To advance this commitment and provide clear, long-term direction, the Board annually updates its Long-Term Facilities Plan (LTFP). The LTFP serves as a comprehensive framework to guide the effective management, renewal and improvement of HWDSB facilities, while also ensuring efficient accommodation of students over time.

The LTFP aligns and supports the Board’s broader strategic and policy frameworks, including the Multi-Year Strategic Plan, Board Improvement Plan, Human Rights Policy, Multi-year Accessibility Plan, Indigenous Education Circle Strategic Action Plan, and relevant HWDSB Policies. Together, these documents ensure that planning decisions are student centered, equitable, inclusive and fiscally responsible.

The LTFP is designed as an online, living document, incorporating embedded links to reports and other Board resources. The plan is organized into three core sections - Planning and Accommodation, Capital Projects, and Facilities Operations - reflecting the three divisions within the Facility Services department.

Guiding Principles

To support the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board’s commitment to providing equitable, affordable, and sustainable learning facilities, a set of Guiding Principles has been established to inform the LTFP. These principles serve as the foundational framework used by Facility Services to guide decision making, including long-term capital planning, capital project submissions, boundary reviews, pupil accommodation reviews, and the delivery of capital projects. All recommendations and strategies within the LTFP are grounded in these Guiding Principles.

 
Flow Chart

Specific Principles related to Elementary and Secondary Panels:

Elementary

  1. School Capacity – optimal school capacity would be 450 to 650 students, which creates two to three classes for each grade.
  2. School Grade/Organization – Kindergarten to Grade 8 facilities.
  3. School Site Size – optimal elementary school site includes play fields, parking lot and building. For new site acquisition, optimal size approximately 6-8 acres and for existing schools, site size is based on local neighbourhood characteristics.
  4. In dual track schools, enrolment between French Immersion and English track should ensure that the balance supports ideal program delivery. i.e. There should be balance of French and English program enrolments to foster a successful learning experience for every student based upon HWDSB’s elementary program strategy.

Secondary

  1. School Capacity – optimal school capacity would be 1,000 to 1,400 students.
  2. School Site Size – optimal secondary school site includes a sports field, parking lot and building. For new site acquisition, optimal size is approximately 13-16 acres and for existing schools, site size is based on local neighbourhood characteristics.

*NOTE: The principles are intended to be guides to inform our work. Local parameters may influence the thresholds above. 

Long-Term Facilities Plan Report

The Long-Term Facilities Plan (Full Report) is broken down into three sections with multiple subsections. Each section represents one of the three divisions that make up Facility Services.  The document includes:  

Select one of the links below to view the Long-Term Facilities Plan (Full Report). 

LTFP – Web version

 LTFP – PDF version