'smooth, gentle' transition for boundary, program changes, says ocdsb
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the ottawa-carleton district school board recommendations released june 1 affect attendance boundaries and programs at six elementary schools.
julie oliver
/
postmedia
ottawa’s largest school board has released a plan for “stable and sustainable change” in its review of west central elementary school boundaries and programs.
the recommendations released june 1 affect attendance boundaries and programs at six elementary schools, including churchill alternative, hilson avenue, broadview avenue, fisher park/summit alternative, elmdale and woodroffe avenue.
middle french immersion and alternative programs are being phased out, while school populations are being rebalanced to ensure that schools with smaller populations are sustainable.
none of the schools will be closed.
the ottawa-carleton district school board said there were three key revisions in the plan, based on community feedback:
first, students won’t have to relocate, the ocdsb said in a statement.
“in direct response to the community’s desire for continuity, current students enrolled in the affected schools are fully grandfathered. they will not be required to change schools and will remain with their peers until graduation.”
second, there is an expanded “sibling legacy provision.” the original plan recommended that only students entering junior kindergarten in 2027 could register at the same school as older siblings. under the revised plan, the sibling allowance is extended to all younger siblings, regardless of their age or start year, provided the family stays in the original catchment area.
the plan released june 1 also ensures transportation for younger siblings as long as they meet ottawa student transportation authority (osta) eligibility requirements.
third, there will be a “smooth, gentle” transition.
“to ensure a stable and sustainable change, boundary and program adjustments will be introduced gradually, starting only with the kindergarten cohort in september 2027,” the ocdsb said.
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hilson avenue public school currently offers english and middle french immersion. hilson will introduce an early french immersion program to become a dual-tracked site. the early french immersion rollout at hilson will be accelerated by one year. to accommodate the early grade 1 rollout, temporary “transitional” early french immersion boundaries will be created for elmdale public school and hilson from 2027 to 2033.
churchill is currently an alternative school. for families with children currently in junior kindergarten at broadview or elmdale with home addresses that are moved inside the churchill boundary, there will be a one-time choice of staying at the current school or moving to churchill for senior kindergarten in 2027.
the existing churchill alternative attendance boundary will be retired gradually to avoid affecting students currently enrolled in the program, while the early french immersion program will be phased in simultaneously. students who are currently in junior kindergarten at churchill will complete senior kindergarten in 2027 and will have the option of enrolling in early french immersion at churchill or moving to their designated english school based on their home addresses.
at fisher park/summit alternative, attendance boundaries for grade 7 and 8 english and early french immersion will be realigned. to minimize disruption and student movement, the existing boundaries will be phased out gradually by one grade a year starting in 2034 to align with the recommended junior kindergarten to grade 6 boundary phase-in. the planned phase-out of the mfi and alt programs will remain on schedule.
at broadview, boundaries will be realigned. students who begin in senior kindergarten in september 2027 will be given a one-time option to remain at their current school or to register at their newly designated school. the grade 7 and 8 early french immersion option area between broadview and woodroffe avenue public school will be phasing out of broadview starting in 2034.
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families who don’t have older children at these six schools will attend the schools assigned to their addresses under the 2027 boundaries.
the ocdsb held a public meeting on may 6 and held an online survey between may 6 and may 13.
“the ocdsb has successfully woven key community feedback into the final plan,” the ocdsb said. “the result is a balanced, forward-looking approach that optimizes school enrolment while successfully delivering on the community’s top priorities: student stability, family unity and peace of mind.”
proposed boundary changes in elementary schools across the city sparked controversy in early 2025 after board officials released proposals to change boundaries and programs. the ocdsb was placed under provincial supervision last june.
the supervisor, bob plamondon, scrapped the proposals last october, saying they would have been “chaotic.” but he also did not rule out that some boundary changes could happen as the alternative schools were phased out and the new french immersion and english with core french streams were introduced.
final feedback on the current proposals must be made by june 15. plamondon is to review it and make a final decision later in the month.
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