Clarendon Central Parents Council Raises Concerns at North Frontenac Council

The highlight of last Friday's (June 12) North Frontenac Council meeting was certainly the presentation of a senior of the month plaque to Lois Emond. Mayor Lichty said that although Emond has been active with the Lions Club for years, her efforts in maintaining the Land O'lakes Food Bank have been a key factor in its continued existence, and ability to continue providing food support to residents in Ward 1, (Barrie) of North Frontenac.

A more concerning matter followed.

Angela Tooley and Shauna Rowland, co-chairs of the Clarendon Central Public School (CCPS) Parent Council, came to North Frontenac Council as a delegation. They were there to outline the concerns of Council regarding a decrease in staffing levels at the school, and the future of the school as enrollment challenges intensify over the next few years.

They outlined the fundraising efforts of the parent council, and how that money impacts the school. The Council has raised over $20,000 over the last three years, and along with a $10,000 grant from the Lions Club of Land O'Lakes and $2,000 from the township, the money has gone into extra services and infrastructure at the school, and for school trips.

“When the teachers ask us for something, we provide it,” she said.

The main focus of the presentation was the diminishing teaching staff levels at the school. She said that in 2014, the school was cut from three to two classes, a JK to grade 3 class and a grade 4 to grade 8 class. Educational Assistant support has diminished from 3 full time positions to 1 half time position. In 2024 the senior class was cut from a full time equivalent teacher to a .7 time teacher and at the same time the EMPOWER reading program at the school was pulled. This has taken place as school enrollment has remained consistent at CCPS for the past five years and is currently at 33, of which 26 are in the grade 4 – 8 class. Turnover in that grade 4-8 teaching position has been high ever since it has not been a full time position, and lack of continuity has an impact on students in the class.

With enrollment about to decrease, based on both school board projections, only 1 student enrolling in JK over the last two years, the council is concerned about the current state of education at the school and whether it will continue to operate.

A 2016 future projection report by the Limestone District School Board did not project that CCPS would close, but it included the student population from North Frontenac in the cohort at Granite Ridge Education Centre, in Sharbot Lake by 2030.

The parent council will be meeting with board officials to see if they can return the staffing levels at the school to pre-2024 levels for the 2026-2027 school year, and has been in contact with MPP John Jordan about their concerns.

They asked Council to support their efforts by endorsing their request for a review of the impact of staffing and educational assistant allocations at Clarendon Central, and support their request to return the grade 4-8 teacher to full time. They also asked Council to communicate the unique needs of the school to MPP Jordan.

Council was happy to comply with the request and passed a motion of enforcement on the spot. Mayor Lichty said he would bring CCPS up whenever he meets John Jordan and other provincial officials.

Tooley and Rowland said that CCPS is also an important resource and meeting point for Plevna, and helps bring the entire community together, and council members said they see the school in that light as well.

Zoning Bylaw amendment

A public meeting was held, Dmitry Kurylovich, Senior Planner with Frontenac County outlined a set of proposed changes to the township's comprehensive zoning bylaw. The changes are not policy changes Kurylovich said, but are mainly wording changes designed to make the bylaw more clear and easy to apply, while removing redundancies.

Council, and members of the public who are interested, are invited to look at the proposed changes and send comments to the planning department. The bylaw will come to Council for adoption later in the year.

Site Plan Control

Later, the council agenda included a proposed new Site Plan Control Bylaw. For certain commercial or larger developments, Site Plan Control is a condition of approval, so that impacts from the project on the environment and neighbouring properties can be managed. Site Plan Control can stipulate the location of buildings, what land can be cleared and what plantings are required. Sonya Bolton, Manager for Community Planning with Frontenac County, went through the new provisions in the bylaw for Council's benefit. After a comment period, county staff will finalise the bylaw and return to Council.

Procurement Policy Update

Not to be outdone by county planners, North Frontenac staff also brought a document that has been under development for quite some time. A set of changes to the township's procurement policy are overdue, not only because inflation has made some of the limits to staff decision-making very low, slowing purchases down by requiring Council to be involved in what are normally day to day decisions by Staff. Other features of the new policy include an increase to $500,000 as the dollar value of a contract requiring a contractor to provide a “performance bond”. This change is intended to make it easier for smaller, local contractors to bid on township projects.

Another set of changes to the policy are designed to ensure compliance with the new Buy Ontario Act, which has a series of impacts to municipal procurement. The Buy Ontario Act contains provisions which could result in loss of eligibility for provincial grants to municipalities who do not adhere to it.

The procurement policy update, which was presented by Treasurer Kelly Watkins, with a lot of background work by Jean Wemp of the department, was approved later in the meeting.

Fire Department Increase in Hours

Council approved a request to increase the hours of the deputy fire chief to 30, making it a 3/4 position. The fire chief said he does not envision coming back for more hours for that position.

Hazardous Waste at Mississippi Waste Site

Council agreed to allow Lanark Highlands residents to use the hazardous waste disposal service at the Mississippi waste site, once a cost recovery agreement is reached with the Township of Lanark Highlands.

Hydro One Community Partnership Grant

Council approved a Staff request to apply for a $25,000 grant from Hydro One to purchase two road closure trailers and two portable arrow signs. A Road Closure Trailer combines a large road closure sign, flashing warning lights, and orange flags into one unit. Currently the township only has small, portable wooden “Road Closed” signs. The grant deadline is at the end of this month