The policy recommendation includes the following key changes:

- requiring the involvement of the sending as well as the receiving school in transfer approvals
- removes the first come first served approach to requests, to a more subjective assessment of relative priorities
-for Elementary school transfers - removes the ease of access to the receiving school as a consideration
-for Secondary school transfers
           - retaining access to programs not offered at the student's designated school
           - eliminates choice of semestered or non-semestered program for educational reasons
           - removes compassionate grounds with "extreme extenuating circumstances"
           - removes ease of access to the receiving school
           - removes the access to course required for admission to post-secondary program or institution
           - retains sibling moves
           - adds other learning needs or requirements.
- change the requirement to stay with the program choice in the receiving school to 2 years from one
- removes the ability of a student moving to Ottawa from a semestered or non-semestered program to choose a boundary transfer if the same program option is not available in their new designated school

This policy is based on the responses of only 235 survey respondents.  We can send a strong message by sending 300 or more emails by November 11, 2009.

It is the position of the BHNCA that:

- ease of access is a significant benefit to communities, students and taxpayers by reducing reliance on and costs of bussing, encouraging walking and general fitness of youth

- semestered and non-semestered options are valuable to students and in a student-centred system the decision must focus on what is best for the student

- access to courses for specialized programs must be retained in order to encourage the vision and ambition of all youth

- Ottawa is the receiving community for a highly mobile, national and international labour force which must welcome and respond to the needs of incoming students. Forcing students to abandon a semestered or non-semestered program based on new residency increases the likelihood of poor transition and reduces school success by shifting the student out of his/her grade cohort and causing their progress to falter.

Please read the full revised policy at : www.ocdsb.ca/Documents/Board_Meetings/Meetings/2009/November_2009/SPPC_Nov4_2009/11_Policy_P_077_doc.pdf

WE NEED YOU TO send the following (or your own comments to)  NO LATER THAN NOV 11, 2009. 

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To:  walter.piovesan@ocdsb.ca  (Superintendent of Instruction)

Cc : colonelbycounts@bhnca.com

Mr. Piovesan,

Upon review of the revised student transfer policy proposed by the OCDSB, I wish to note my opposition to the elimination of the following options:

- ease of access
- semestered and non-semestered options
- access to courses for specialized programs required for post-secondary program or institution access
- mobile families not having access to continuing semestered or non-semestered programming for children transfering to the OCDSB.

It is my position that:

- ease of access is a significant benefit to communities, students and taxpayers by reducing reliance on and costs of bussing, encouraging walking and general fitness of youth
- semestered and non-semestered options are valuable to students and in a student-centred system the decision must focus on what is best for the student
- access to courses for specialized programs must be retained in order to encourage the vision and ambition of all youth
- Ottawa is the receiving community for a highly mobile, national and international labour force which must welcome and respond to the needs of incoming students. Forcing students to abandon a semestered or non-semestered program based on new residency increases the likelihood of poor transition and reduces school success by shifting the student out of his/her grade cohort and causing their progress to falter.