Councillor calls on Ontario to keep Regina Street School open

Regina Street Alternative School on Regina Street in Ottawa. (Regina Street Alternative School/website)

An Ottawa councillor is calling on the Ontario government to keep Regina Street Alternative School open as a community school, as parents raise concerns about the future of Alternative Schools in the capital.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) says the final cohort of students for the Alternative program enrolled in September 2025, and no new students will be enrolled in the program in future years, including new Kindergarten students.

“There may be consolidation of the ALT programs to fewer sites, over time and if required, for operational purposes,” the OCDSB said on its website.

• Parents want answers as OCDSB phases out alternative schools, middle French immersion

In a letter to Education Minister Paul Calandra and OCDSB supervisor Robert Plamondon, Coun. Theresa Kavanagh expresses concern for the future of the school.

“With kindergarten registration opening for the 2026 27 school year, many families were shocked to learn that their local school, Regina Street Alternative, would not be accepting kindergarten registrations,” Kavanagh said in the letter sent Thursday morning.

“The decision to stop kindergarten registrations at this local school is essentially a slow-motion closure, and it runs counter to the province’s stated intention of fostering thriving, local community schools.”

Kavanagh notes the school faced closure in 2016, before the board decided to keep it open.

“Closing Regina Street Public School was the wrong decision in 2016, and it’s the wrong decision now,” the councillor writes.

Kavanagh calls the Regina Street School a “gem in Britannia/Lincoln Heights,” noting there is access to outdoor learning opportunities at nearby Mud Lake.

“I understand that the board is working on addressing the challenge of overcrowding in some schools, and under enrolment in others, and I firmly believe that Regina Street School could provide a solution to overcrowding in some of the neighbouring schools,” Kavanagh said.

“I strongly encourage you to work with the board to expand program offerings at this school, and to reinstate kindergarten enrolment for the 2026-27 school year, to avoid a further decline in enrolment, and eventual closure.”

OCDSB Director or Education Stacey Kay sent a letter to parents in December, stating that starting in September 2026, Regina Alternative School, Churchill Alternative School, Lady Evelyn Alternative School and Riverview Alternative School will offer Senior Kindergarten to Grade 6 only, and will “no longer be accepting any new students.” The transition will see only Grades 1 to 6 offered in September 2027.

“We are actively working on various district-wide accommodation challenges, including managing overcrowding and establishing boundaries for new schools under construction,” Kay writes.

“While these issues require urgent action, the long-term planning for the future use and boundaries of the Alternative school sites is also on our work plan.”

The board says as new French Immersion and English with Core French steams are introduced, there may be some boundary adjustments for schools, but no boundary changes will be made for the 2026-27 school year.