Cartwright H.S. in danger from DDSB proposal
by Kyla Morgan/The Scugog Standard

Two local high schools may soon be merging.
_A proposal to establish an Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) to look into the closure and consolidation of Cartwright High School with Port Perry High School in 2013, was approved Jan. 23 by Durham District School Board trustees.
_Scugog Trustee Carolyn Morton said she understands this process can be a difficult undertaking for the communities involved.
_“We’ve had many families who have successfully educated their children for several generations at Cartwright High School, which is likely the smallest post secondary school in the province,” said Ms. Morton.
_The ARC will comprise affected school principals, a staff member, a teacher representative and up to two parents from each school. The ARC may also include up to two additional community members. Uxbridge and Brock Trustee Joe Allin and Scugog Trustee Carolyn Morton may serve as non-voting members. Additional non-voting members of the ARC are North Durham’s superintendent of education, John Beatty, who will chair the meetings, and superintendent of education/facilities services, David Visser, who will act as secretary.
_The review will take about one year, and includes 12 meetings - including a tour of both schools - and four public meetings. The first is scheduled for Tuesday, April 10, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Port Perry High School.
_Cartwright High School is an 8,775 square foot building with a capacity of 84 students. There are 257 eligible high school students living within Cartwright’s boundaries. Enrollment for the last school year was 122 students, with 12 out-of-boundary students. The remaining in-boundary students, except one, chose to attend Port Perry HS, located about 12 km from Cartwright HS.
_The report lists many challenges at Cartwright HS including a small gym, limited space for books, computers and instrument storage. The school doesn’t have a specialized theatre space or cafeteria. There is also a staffing challenge at Cartwright, as funding only allows for 5.5 staff. The school has been provided with 10 staff, however, as they are needed to teach mandatory and some elective classes.
_Port Perry HS is more than 18 times the size of Cartwright HS and can support 1,110 students. The school is slated for a six-classroom science room addition for September 2013 that will increase student capacity by 126.
_Ms. Morton says the goal of the ARC is to provide the best learning and growing opportunities for the students.
_“Let us keep that focus in mind as we work our way through the accommodation review,” she said.