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6.7.3 Impact of SMP projects on reduction of excess surplus capacity
The likely need for the existing excess surplus capacity as “swing space” during the completion of
upgrades under the SMP is one of the main reasons cited by VBE for why school capacity
rationalization is significantly limited in the short term.
As a component of VBE’s LRSFP, VBE is in the process of devising a plan to house the students of the
schools being upgraded under the SMP during the upgrade period. In February 2015, VBE prepared
and circulated a draft Proposed Plan for Temporary Accommodation, which proposes a number of
options for dealing with the logistical issues presented by undertaking all the necessary seismic
upgrades.
The Temporary Accommodation Plan provided seven available options and then analyzed the benefits
and shortfalls of each option. The options VBE provided include:
1. Use of existing swing sites and creation of a new swing site;
2. Clustering host schools;
3. Use of vacated buildings to house students during upgrades;
4. Repurpose annexes as swing space/host schools;
5. Repurpose elementary schools with low utilization as swing space;
6. Repurpose secondary schools with low capacity utilization as elementary swing space; and
7. Use rental space
The Temporary Accommodation Plan is the first step in a process to address this challenge. It only
provides the menu of options and does not recommend, or advocate, for one approach over another. In
its current form, the Temporary Accommodation Plan does not provide scenario analyses to support
one approach over another. VBE advises that once the Board has responded to the options available,
VBE will provide a formal plan to overcome the capacity issues created by seismic mitigation.
VBE has advised that it would prefer to keep student populations in their existing school facilities
during the SMP (where possible) but is unable to do so because it does not have the funding to
purchase the additional temporary accommodation that is required.
Recommendation 6.25
VBE prepare scenario analysis models to assess the variance impacts on available capacity during the
SMP. Holistic analysis needs to be undertaken based on the results including both costs savings and
proceeds that can be generated from school closure that becomes available with the provision of
temporary accommodation.
VBE should track the trend of student movement from non-upgraded schools to new seismically
upgraded schools to determine whether a correlation exists between enrolment and facility upgrades.
This will help support future decisions around closures and replacement over upgrade.
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