Stratford to consolidate schools, keep single high school permanent

Stratford converts high school to middle school om CTV Kitchener's Zayn Jinah: Starting next year, all public high school students in the Stratford area will be going to the same school.

STRATFORD — The Avon Maitland District School Board has decided to keep all of the students who go to public high school in Stratford going to the same one.

The school year began a little differently for students there after Stratford Central High School was closed for repairs.

That meant that all of the city's public high school students headed to Stratford Northwestern. Now, that change will stick.

"The students have always come in to Stratford for high school and they will continue to do so but they will come specifically to the Northwestern campus next year," explains superintendent of education Jane Morris.

In a decision made on Tuesday, the AMDSB decided that Stratford Central will be switched over to a school for students in Grades 7 and 8, leaving Northwestern for the high school students.

The decision was made after two years of review.

The senior public school is expected to hover around 59 per cent occupancy next year.

While a number of students who spoke to CTV expressed concerns about overcrowding, the high school is projected to have an occupancy of 88 per cent.

The school board says a transition process will begin next year.

The board has also passed a two year moratorium, stopping students in Grades 7 and 8 from rural feeder schools from attending Stratford central.