Parents unhappy with potential changes to Kitchener school boundaries

These Waterloo Catholic District School Board-provided maps show two potential changes to boundaries at St. John Paul II CES and St. Anthony Daniel CES in Kitchener.

Kitchener’s Saint John Paul II Catholic Elementary School is only five years old, but it’s already bursting at the seams.

Built to house 611 students, the school in the Lackner Woods neighbourhood started the current school year 120 kids over that mark.

“By 2020, that number will turn to 245 extra students,” said Waterloo Catholic District School Board chief managing officer John Shewchuk, adding that the board has a dozen elementary schools with fewer than 245 students in total.

“We have students coming, and we don’t have any place to put them.”

The school board is looking at making boundary adjustments to deal with the increase in new homes in Kitchener’s east end.

Although the boundary review process is only just beginning – the committee that will study the issue hasn’t met yet – some parents say they’re worried about the outcome.

The school board has suggested two potential solutions to overcrowding at St. John Paul II, both of which involve moving some students into the boundaries for St. Anthony Daniel Catholic Elementary School, which is near River Road and Ottawa Street.

One possible scenario would see students from the Chicopee area would be moved to St. Anthony Daniel. Under the other, students in the Idlewood neighbourhood would be affected.

Kristina Monteiro, who lives in Idlewood and has a son at St. John Paul II, says she doesn’t like the sound of either idea.

“We want to keep our school community together. It’s a wonderful, beautiful community,” she said in an interview.

Monteiro says she’s concerned that only eight other children from her son’s grade would make the move to St. Anthony Daniel, separating him from many of his friends.

She’s also worried about the timeframe for the boundary review, which would see a decision reached next April in time for changes to take effect by the next school year.

“I don’t think that there’s really time to understand all of the nuanced elements,” she said.

Carol Fernandez has two sons at Saint John Paul II who could also be affected by any boundary adjustments.

She says she’d rather see a new school built to handle overflow.

“They love their school. If they’re going to move, it’s going to be so sad for them,” she said.

In the short time it’s been open, St. John Paul II has already received an addition and had several portables installed in its field.

“Anything and everything” could be decided on through the boundary review process, Shewchuk said.