Some Ottawa parents say they are unhappy with elementary school boundary changes proposed by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB).
The English Public School Board released a proposed boundary map on Friday. The board’s report estimates that the change would result in about 11,000 students changing schools in 2026, up from the usual 6,000 to 8,000 in a typical year.
“While the increased movement is not insignificant, the disruption must be weighed against the reasons for the proposed changes and the resulting benefits,” the report says.
The board announced in January that it would propose significant changes to boundaries, grade configurations and program offerings across its elementary system to try to return students to schools in their own communities.
The plan will make it easier for students to move between grades and schools in the long term, OCDSB Education Director Pino Buffone said.
“What we’re doing is a one-time step that will allow that child to move from grade to grade, from school to school with their cohort … and not be separated every time they change schools,” he told CBC News.
The board hopes to even out enrollment at schools that are overcrowded or undercapacitated, Buffone added, especially since there is a moratorium on closing public schools even if they are undercapacitated.
“We’ve rebalanced the organization so that we have healthy schools everywhere,” he said.
Some parents said they are determined to keep their children where they are.
Teacher Tara Doherty bought her Lower Town home so that her daughter could receive special learning support at Rockcliffe Park Public School.
Doherty said changing schools is not an option.
“She’s a very anxious child, and that’s something we’re getting support for,” Doherty said.
“To have an unnatural transition for her away from everything she knows, away from all her close friends, would be extremely detrimental to her mental health.”
Doherty also said she believes the OCDSB proposal would reduce the diversity of students who attend the school.
“The only way you can access Rockcliffe Public is if you’re upper class, upper income, basically,” she said. “We feel like we’re being segregated in some way.”
Community meetings about the changes will be held in March. The board also plans to develop a transition plan in the fall.