The Waterloo Catholic District School Board has decided not to move its French Immersion program from Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary School to St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary School in 2026. In a letter sent to parents this week, the school board said it decided to reverse course in response to “extensive feedback” from families, including the results of community survey and a recent open house. “I want to acknowledge that this has been a challenging process for everyone involved, especially for families who have been navigating uncertainty about their children’s schools. I do apologize for the stress and anxiety this has caused,” Annalisa Varano, the WCDSB’s director of education, said in the letter. “Our staff has dedicated considerable time and energy to listening, working to support our community, and carefully weighing difficult alternatives and we are grateful.” At an informational meeting on Sept. 22, the school board explained the motive behind the proposed move. “All of our sites are over capacity and, no matter what we do here, it’s going to create issues,” WCDSB Trustee Conrad Stanley said. “There’s no easy solution here.” Holy Rosary is at 136 per cent capacity, with eight portables on the Thorndale Drive property. In the spring, the school board’s facilities team raised concerns about the growing student population and need for even more portables. “If we were to max out the portables by adding four more, it would take up essentially all of the play space that children enjoy during recess,” Lema Salaymeh, a WRCSB spokesperson, said in September. There are currently 141 students enrolled in French Immersion at Holy Rosary. The school board said moving the program to St. Nicholas, about 10 minutes away, made the most sense as it would keep the students all together. “Moving them as a group felt like a natural transition,” Salaymeh explained. St. Nicholas is experiencing its own population pressure. The school is over capacity at 106 per cent utilization. Unlike Holy Rosary, however, the school only has three portables and can accommodate more on the Laurelwood Drive property. According to the letter sent to Holy Rosary parents, a staff report recommending a boundary review will be presented to the school board sometime in the future. “The boundary review will include Holy Rosary and other nearby schools,” it said. “This boundary review will consider all possible options and programs and will ensure that all community voices are heard.” The school board also noted a new elementary school, to be built in the Beaver Creek Meadows area of Waterloo, will provide “a more long-term solution to these challenges.” Construction on that project has not yet begun.
