Windsor father frustrated after French Immersion program is cut at W.F. Herman Academy

W.F. Herman Secondary school in Windsor,Ont. (Courtesy Google Maps)

A Windsor father is feeling frustrated after changes have been made to the French Immersion program.

Ian Deck says his daughter — who is in Grade 8 at W.F. Herman Academy — was recently notified that the high school French Immersion program will no longer be offered moving forward.

A spokesperson for the Greater Essex County District School Board says due to extremely low enrollment in the program for the 2026-27 school year, French Immersion at W.F. Herman Academy is no longer viable.

The board adds that with the current number of registrants, it would not be possible to offer students the full range of required courses.

Students who want to continue in the program will now need to attend Tecumseh Vista.

Grades 10, 11, and 12 students who are already enrolled in French Immersion for the 2026-2027 school year will be able to continue in the program until graduation.

Deck says his daughter is disappointed.

“She started in JK at Herman Academy in the elementary program, same building, back in 2016 when they opened the building as a K through 12 program for these kids to continue - my daughter would have been part of the first class to go from K all the way to 12.”

He says there’s no push from the board to continue in French Immersion.

“Part of it is the community, they’re not making them get that drive to stay in the French Immersion program from the school board side and into the secondary program unfortunately. And then on top of that, multiple kids went into the Enriched program at Riverside - which they don’t offer in the French Immersion program.”

He says his daughter wants to continue French.

“Just right now we’re waiting for the Gordie Howe Bridge opening, with all of those CBSA officers, they all need that second language so it’s a great opportunity. My daughter wants to do that, she’s want to pursue that because she’s got that language now, she can do both languages.”

According to Deck, no transportation would be made available if his daughter wanted to continue the program at Tecumseh Vista.

The only high schools within the GECDSB that offer French Immersion are Belle River District High, Sandwich Secondary, and Tecumseh Vista.

-with files from AM800’s The Kyle Horner Show