Trustees at Ottawa’s largest school board rejected a proposal to phase out 26 special education classes, as part of a major overhaul of elementary school curriculum and boundaries. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board approved parts of the Elementary Program Review during a lengthy board meeting Tuesday night, including consolidating elementary programming into Enhanced English and French Immersion, phasing out Middle French Immersion and closing Alternative schools. However, trustees rejected the proposal to phase out the following special education classes: Gifted Program – Primary, Language Learning Disability Program and Learning Disabilities Specialized Intervention Program. “I’m against the cuts to special education. I’m against the closure of Alternative schools,” Trustee Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth said. “I’m strongly against them leaving the most disadvantaged schools without dual track.” Parents held a rally outside the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s office on Greenbank Road to protest the proposed cuts to special education. “Us parents have been advocating trying to make sure that special education stays, and we have been working on this for about a year and it’s sort of coming down to tonight,” parent Kay Dudley Logue said. Victoria Kay says her granddaughter needs support. “Without the support of the school system, we don’t know what will happen,” Kay told CTV News Ottawa. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board launched the program review last spring, saying the goal was to offer programming in English and French at each school and to have “community-based education” for students. “The driver of this process has been equity. To ensure we have equity of access across our system for the programs and services we offer,” Director of Education Pino Buffone said. “That’s been the driver, but, of course, likely any other decision we make there is always a budgetary implication, but it’s not been the driver.” Buffone admits the Elementary Program Review is a “complex, multi-faceted matter.” “I think it’s progressing as any large, complex change management process would.” Buffone told reporters he understands the community’s concerns about the proposed changes to special education programming. “Part of what we’re looking to do in the Elementary Program Review is address some of our ongoing, structural deficits. That’s part of what has been brought to us as a concern from the (Ministry of Education) in our financial investigation,” Buffone said, acknowledging the Ontario government launched an investigation into the OCDSB’s finances. “Although, these processes don’t impact this current budgetary process for next year, it’s for the year afterwards, we do understand that we’ve got to work within reasonable resources – be them human material or fiscal.” Trustees approved the plan to offer Enhanced English and French Immersion at schools starting in September 2026, phase out Middle French Immersion and close Alternative schools. Under the plan, the last cohort will enter Middle French Immersion in September 2026 and finish Grade 8 in 2021. Alternative schools would be phased out in 2035. The grade structures will change at 18 schools across the city, with boundaries also being altered 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. Buffone said any sections of the Elementary Program Review that don’t pass means the programs, including special education programming, will remain “the status quo.” Trustees will finalize the Elementary Program Review next Tuesday. The following schools will see changes to Grade structures The OCDSB says all schools will remain open “with more balanced enrolments” across the city. The plan to phase out Alternative schools will see Lady Evelyn Alterative School, Riverview Alternative School and Regina Street Alternative School offer Enhanced English and French Immersion.
