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Ottawa’s largest school board has released a plan to balance enrolment and introduce new programs at six elementary schools in the west-central district.
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The proposals will affect Churchill, Hilson, Broadview, Fisher Park/Summit Alternative, Elmdale and Woodroffe Avenue. The goal of the proposals is to “ensure long-term stability for the entire west-central area,” said the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
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Under the proposal released Wednesday, May 6, no schools will be closed. Current students in senior kindergarten through Grade 8 at the six affected schools will not be forced to move. They have a “no one leaves” option to stay in their current school and program until they graduate, said OCDSB on Wednesday.
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The phase-in will be gradual. New programs will begin with junior and senior kindergarten, and would continue to add one grade per year.
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“This ‘slow-growth’ model reduces the need for current students to move between schools.,” said the OCDSB. At the year of implementation, all senior kindergarten students will be provided with a one-time option to remain at their current school.
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None of the proposals is a done deal. Members of the public will get their first glimpse of the proposals at a public meeting at Broadview Avenue Public School on May 6 at 7 p.m., and have until May 13 to comment.
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A previous effort to introduce sweeping elementary program boundary changes for the entire OCDSB was scrapped last October by provincially-appointed supervisor Bob Plamondon after it sparked controversy. Those changes would have seen an estimated 11,000 students changing schools starting in September 2026, compared to an annual average of 6,000 to 8,000 students.
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“Our goal is to make these improvements carefully and thoughtfully, with minimal disruption and maximum support for students and families,” said Plamondon at the time.
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At issue in the review: alternative programs and middle French immersion programs at some of the schools are being phased out. At the same time, some of the schools are at or very near capacity, while others have low enrolment.
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As of 2027, Churchill is projected to be at 41.1 per cent capacity, for example, Hilson at 70.1 per cent, Fisher Park at 74.1 per cent, Woodroffe Avenue is at 94 per cent cent and Broadview is at 102.5 per cent.
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Here’s a look at how the proposals would affect each of the six schools:
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- There will be no changes to the current English and early French immersion programs at Broadview Public School. However, boundaries will be realigned for junior kindergarten to Grade 6, Grade 7-8 English and JK-8 EFI. To minimize disruption and student movement, the existing boundaries will be phased out gradually at one grade per year, with the exception of junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten being phased in simultaneously in 2027, said the OCDSB.
Students who begin senior kindergarten in September 2027 (in junior kindergarten in 2026) will be given a one-time option to remain at their current school, or to register at their newly-designated school based on the proposed boundaries. The Grade 7-8 early French immersion option area between Broadview Public School and Woodroffe Avenue Public School will be phasing out of Broadview Public School starting in 2034.
For the 2027–2028 school year, a sibling provision will be offered for incoming junior kindergarten students with older siblings already attending the school. These incoming students will be permitted to enrol at the same school as their
older siblings.
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