The first public consultation meetings into the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s controversial boundary review take place Thursday as angry and frustrated parents grapple with the changes. The OCDSB unveiled its proposed changes to elementary school boundaries and school grade structures last week, which would affect 30 schools and thousands of students starting in the fall of 2026. The sweeping changes are part of the elementary program review, which includes gradually eliminating Middle French Immersion (MFI), closing Alternative Schools and phasing out some special education programs. Under the proposal, the OCDSB would consolidate elementary school programs into two – Enhanced English (EE) and French Immersion (FI). Parents have found out that the changes would split siblings up, sending them to different schools, or require kids, who used to be able to walk to a neighbourhood school, bus to a school farther away. In-person meetings are taking place Thursday to discuss the proposal. A daytime session will be held from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Confederation Education Centre. Evening sessions will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Earl of March Secondary School and Gloucester High School. Kate Purchase, a mom of two, told CTV Morning Live the proposed changes would have a big effect on her family. “Our eldest goes to Broadview Public School. Because of the changes, it actually affects 11 houses on our block; the entire rest of our street is zoned into the catchment area for Broadview, and so our son is going to be grandfathered in to Broadview as a Grade 1 student, but our daughter, who just turned three yesterday, unfortunately is going to be sent to a different school and then sent to a different school again 40 minutes outside our community,” she said. Purchase said she does not believe the school board has been meaningfully consulting with families. “Listening to parents over a two-month process is not really listening to parents, it’s not really being in the community, it’s not really understanding the concerns,” she said. “While it is appreciated that there is a survey, that not really actually a real, meaningful consultation when there is an 18-month implementation phase that is being railroaded through these communities.” OCDSB Director of Education Pino Buffone said the school board is looking at ways it can be adjusted. “The impetus for this particular program review really was equity of access to programs and services because wasn’t the case and isn’t the case right now across the district,” said Buffone. “In order to restructure for equity of access, opportunity, experience and outcome, we’ve have to look at a number of factors … No question, it’s complicated. Right now, we’re listening to feedback from parents, guardians and caregivers to see where we can make adjustments.” He said, however, that the review process is lengthy and complex. “There are multiple layers to this, and they’re integrated. If you pull one string, it affects other elements. We’re listening right now to feedback and looking at what we can do to adjust, understand these kinds of large complex change management processes aren’t easy.” Purchase said she would like the OCDSB to take more time to listen to community concerns. “We are asking for an extended consultation phase that is a deeper, more meaningful, more thorough consultation to really understand the real-world impact on these communities,” she said. “Of course we all agree with more equitable access across the city—I don’t think anyone disagrees with that—but parents are reacting now to the facts on the table and they need time to help our trustees, help our board understand what this means.” Future consultations Monday, March 17 (In-Person) Monday, March 24, 2025 (Virtual) With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Josh Pringle
