Ottawa’s public school board begins final debate this week on elementary program review: Here’s what you need to know

Parents worry about program cuts at OCDSB

Ottawa’s largest school board begins the final debate this week on the proposed overhaul of elementary schools for the 2026-27 school year, including changes to programs, school grade structures and boundaries.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s (OCDSB) Elementary Program Review proposes consolidating elementary school programming into Enhanced English and French Immersion, eliminating Middle French Immersion, closing Alternative Schools and phasing out some special education programs.

The recommendations include changes to the grade structures at 18 schools and alterations to the boundaries at dozens of schools.  According to the report, approximately 1,500 more students than normal will be required to change schools in September 2026 due to the changes.

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The report, tabled by OCDSB Director of Education Pino Buffone, says the elementary program review found “the need for change” within the school board, noting “clearly not all students in all school communities” were benefiting from the programs offered by the board.

“More specifically, feedback collected from the community consistently indicates that the current elementary model is not meeting the needs of all students in the District in several tangible ways,” the report says. “To begin, many students are required to travel outside of their community to attend school because the program they wish to access is not offered at the closest school. In addition, concerns have been raised about barriers (e.g., attitudinal, structural) to accessing French Immersion programs, including among multilingual learners and students with special education needs.”

Staff recommend the OCDSB offer two elementary programs, Enhanced English and French Immersion, starting in September 2026, with the gradual phase out of Middle French Immersion and Alternative Schools over the next few years.

The report says the “successful implementation” of the new elementary program model will have the following “desired outcomes”:

• “Equitable access for all students to programs offered within a designated community school model,” staff said.
• Reduced grade configurations
• Improved transitions between feeder schools
• “Re-balancing enrolments where possible to provide more stability for low-enrolment schools and their communities,” the report said.

According to the board, the changes to elementary school program offerings, grade configurations and attendance boundaries will improves access to programs “through the expansion of dual-track programming across the District in a community school model,” and more students will be served at their designated school

Trustees will debate the final recommendations on Tuesday, with a final decision on the Elementary Program Review to be finalized May 13.

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CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what you need to know about the OCDSB Elementary Program Review and its changes:

Current program model

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board currently offers six programs in elementary schools:

• Full-Day Kindergarten
• English with Core French
• Early French Immersion
• Middle French Immersion
• Alternative Program
• The Ottawa-Carleton Virtual School

There is also special education and English as a Second Language services.

According to the board, 60 per cent of OCDSB students are currently enrolled in Early French Immersion, compared to 40 per cent in English with Core French.

The school board says currently, 63 schools offer English with Core French and French Immersion, 15 schools offer single-track English, 15 schools offer single-track Early French Immersion, 19 schools offer “triple-track,” and there are four Alternative schools and two special education schools. The board also operates one “quadruple-track school.”

Proposed Elementary Program Review changes

Trustees will vote May 13 on the following recommendations:

• Effective September 2026, the OCDSB offers Enhanced English and French Immersion for students in Grades 1 to 8.
• Middle French Immersion be phased out with the last cohort of Grade 4 students entering the program in September 2026 completing Grade 8 in 2031.
• Alternative Schools be phased out as the last cohort of JK students entering the program in September 2025 completes Grade 8 in 2035.
• The OCDSB phases out the following Specialized Program Classes: Gifted program – Primary, Language Learning Disability Program and Learning Disabilities Specialized Intervention Program.

Boundary review and changes to Grade structures

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board proposes changes to the grade structures at 18 schools and alterations to the boundaries at dozens of schools.

The OCDSB says there will be five single-track English schools and six single-track French schools, with the remaining schools offering Enhanced English and French Immersion.

Staff say there are three “overarching principles” of the program review:

• Dynamic, bilingual teaching and learning environments: “The ability to offer programming in English and French for all students at each school site, along a continuum of bilingualism organized by subject area/discipline, allows students to build confidence, proficiency and achievement in both official languages,” the board says
• Continuum of inclusion: “The provision of support at each school site allows for an array of assistance for all students, including multilingual learners and those with special needs, with the potential for full inclusion, withdrawal assistance, and/or specialized program classes.”
• Community-based education: The board says the program review is “recognition of each school site as core to the community allows for localization of programs and/or services related, to learning, well-being and social responsibility.”

The following schools will see changes to Grade structures

• Bayview Public School, currently JK to Grade 4, will become JK to Grade 3 (EE, FI)
• Blossom Park Public School, currently JK to Grade 8, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE, MFI, FI)
• Carson Grove Elementary School, currently JK to Grade 5, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE, FI)
• Emily Carr Middle School, currently Grades 6 to 8, will become Grades 7 and 8 (EE, FI)
• Forest Valley Elementary School, currently JK to Grade 5, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE, FI)
• Glen Ogilvie Public School, currently JK to Grade 5, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE, FI)
• Goulbourn Middle School, currently Grades 6 to 8, will become JK to Grade 8 (JK-8 (EE, FI), 7-8 MFI, 7-8 G.ENG)
• Henry Munro Middle School, currently Grades 6 to 8, will become Grades 7 and 8 (EE, FI)
• Le Phare Elementary School, currently JK to Grade 5, will become JK to Grade 6 (FI)
• Manotick Public School, currently JK to Grade 5, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE, FI)
• Metcalfe Public School, currently JK to Grade 8, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE, FI)
• North Gower/Marlborough Public School, currently JK to Grade 5, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE)
• Richmond Public School, currently JK to Grade 5, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE, FI)
• Robert Hopkins Public School, currently JK to Grade 5, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE, FI)
• Rockcliffe Park Public School: currently JK to Grade 6, will become JK to Grade 8 (EE, FI)
• South March Public School, currently JK to Grade 6, will become JK to Grade 8 (EE, FI)
• Steve MacLean Public School, currently JK to Grade 8, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE, FI)
• Vimy Ridge Public School, currently JK to Grade 8, will become JK to Grade 6 (EE, FI)

The OCDSB says all schools will remain open “with more balanced enrolments” across the city.

One change to the original plan

The updated recommendations include revising the grade configuration at Rockcliffe Park Public School. The school will shift from a JK to Grade 6 school to JK to Grade 8.

The board says the change will affect the attendance boundaries of Rockcliffe Park Public School, York Street Public School, Queen Elizabeth Public School.

Phasing out Middle French Immersion and Alternative

The OCDSB says it will phase out Middle French Immersion and Alternative Schools starting in September 2026.

The last cohort of Middle French Immersion students will enter Grade 4 in September 2026 and complete Grade 8 by the end of the 2030-31 school year. Students in Middle French Immersion will, in most cases, remain at their current school.

The last cohort of Junior Kindergarten students starting in September 2025 will complete Grade 6 at the end of the 2032-33 school year, and Grade 8 in 2034-35.

Staff say the four K-Grade 6 Alternative schools and one Grade 7-8 school will begin to transition to community schools in September 2026.

For more information on the proposed boundaries, visit the OCDSB website.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Ted Raymond