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Annual Accommodation Plan

TVDSB Accommodation Plan 2025 - 2026 

Welcome to the TVDSB Accommodation Plan  

Section 1: Introduction

What is the Accommodation Plan? 

The Accommodation Plan provides a system-wide snapshot of accommodation needs across Thames Valley. This information allows TVDSB to set accommodation planning priorities, including future attendance area reviews and business cases for new schools and building additions.It also highlights areas where further analysis and action are necessary and explores the essential questions: what are the needs of TVDSB, for what objectives, in which locations, and in what time frame?  

Why is it necessary? 
  • The Ministry of Education requires that boards maintain a long-term accommodation plan to meet the future needs of students. 
  • Growth in certain geographic areas, demographic shifts, and new residential development have in some cases resulted in imbalances between available space and student enrolment. 
  • To strategically plan for the future through a comprehensive, Board-wide view.
Guiding Principles

Our commitments to the TVDSB community
The Accommodation Plan reflects key commitments to our students, families, communities, and partners in public education. These guiding principles shape all strategies and actions within the plan:  

Put Students First  
Provide learning environments that support student achievement, safety, well being, and equitable access to high-quality education, while demonstrating responsible stewardship of public resources.  

Communicate Openly  
Ensure transparent, accessible communication and meaningful engagement with students, families, staff, partners, and communities throughout all stages of accommodation planning.  

Establish Intention  
Align all strategies with provincial legislation, Ministry of Education requirements, local municipal plans, and the Thames Valley District School Board’s strategic priorities and policies.  

Demonstrate Responsibility  
Implement data informed, accountable, and forward looking approaches to managing growth, optimizing space, and planning for long-term facility needs.  

Embrace Community  
Cultivate partnerships, strengthen relationships, and pursue collaborative opportunities that support the diverse needs of Thames Valley communities.  

Monitor Change and Outcomes  
Continuously assess demographic trends, enrolment patterns, and community needs to ensure accommodation strategies remain dynamic, adaptive, and responsive over time.  

TVDSB Strategic Directions 2024-2028

Support Student Achievement:
LEARNING
We value students’ individual educational paths and provide the tools and resources necessary for student achievement including students with special education needs.

Create Safe Spaces for All:
BELONGING
To support student achievement, our schools and workplaces must be safe spaces for all.

Become the Best Place to Learn, Work, and Grow:
LEADING
Our goal is to become Ontario’s leader in education by fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.

Work Together with Communities:
COLLABORATING
To inform our decision-making, we will build positive, trusting relationships across our district by increasing community engagement that is accessible, accountable, and transparent.

Learn more about TVDSB's Strategic Directions 2024 - 2028

Section 2: Planning Tools and Methods & Assumptions

Between 2016 and 2021, the London Census Metropolitan Area was the fastest growing in Ontario and ranked 4th highest in Canada. This growth has led to increasing pressures on schools in many areas across the district.  

Currently, our tools for relieving enrolment pressure include: 

  • Attendance area reviews 

  • Holding zones 

  • Enrolment caps 

  • Grade structure reviews 

  • Program delivery and location reviews 

  • Portables 

TVDSB’s accommodation planning priorities have focused on managing enrolment pressure through new schools and building additions and balancing enrolment across schools where possible. 

Exploring the Available Planning Tools 

An Attendance Area Review (AAR) is the formal process the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) uses to examine and adjust school boundary areas to ensure enrolment is balanced and facilities are used efficiently. 

The AAR process is designed to: 

  • manage enrolment pressures, 

  • improve long-term accommodation planning, 

  • respond to changing demographics, residential growth, or declining enrolment, and 

  • ensure sustainable, equitable access to school programs. 

AARs adjust the geographic boundaries that determine which school a student attends based on where they live. 

 

View Attendance Area Review Procedure

 

Learn more about Attendance Area Reviews

Holding Zones are temporary attendance designations used by Thames Valley District School Board to manage enrolment pressure in areas experiencing significant residential growth. They are established before development begins to prevent displacing existing students and to ensure new students can be accommodated where school space is available. 

  • Purpose: 
    Holding Zones allow TVDSB to assign students from new developments to schools with available capacity until permanent accommodation—such as a new or expanded school—is approved and built. 

  • How They Work: 
    Students living in a designated Holding Zone attend a specified holding school. 
     Although students attend the holding school, new dwelling units remain assigned to their original Planning Area for enrolment projection purposes. 

  • Why They're Used: 

    • Manage rapid residential growth

    • Reduce overcrowding in local schools 

    • Provide time for TVDSB to seek Ministry funding for new schools or building additions 
    • Maintain stability for existing students 

  • Duration: 
    A Holding Zone remains in place until permanent accommodation is available, which may involve:

    • New school construction

    • School additions

    • Attendance area reviews 

  • Adjustments Over Time: 
    Holding zones may be modified when the original holding school reaches capacity, redirecting students to alternative sites.

 

View Holding Zone and Holding Schools Procedure

An enrolment cap at TVDSB refers to the Board's decision to limit the number of new students allowed to enrol in certain schools due to high demand and capacity constraints. This decision is part of a broader strategy to manage enrolment pressures, which has seen a significant increase in new families moving to the region in recent years. 

 

View Capping of Elementary and Secondary Schools Procedure

Grade Structure Reviews and Program Reviews can better align resources with student needs. A Grade Structure Review focuses on which grades are taught at a given school and whether changing grade configurations may be warranted to create space and balance enrolment across schools.

 

Program Reviews examine where specialized programs are offered and how they affect enrolment patterns since these programs often attract students from a large geographic area. Adjustments might include relocating a program, adding popular programs to underused schools, limiting enrolment due to capacity constraints, or consolidating low-demand programs to support more balanced and equitable program access for students.

 

Used together, Grade Structure and Program Reviews allow TVDSB to address enrolment pressure and underutilization.

Portables and portapaks are used across the system to provide supplementary temporary space in areas where pupil enrolment exceeds the available capacity of the school. Portables and portapaks enable Thames Valley to accommodate enrolment fluctuations while permanent accommodation strategies are developed and implemented. 

Methods and Assumptions 

Every year, staff estimate how many students each Thames Valley school will have in the future. These estimates are called enrolment projections. There are two components to enrolment projections: existing community and forecasted population growth. Staff consider many factors when calculating enrolment projections, including: 

  • Past population and housing trends 

  • Demographic trends (i.e. births and age structure) 

  • The type and location of residential building permits issued in the past decade 

  • Residential growth forecasts by planning area based on municipal data 

  • Proportion of school-aged children who are Thames Valley students 

  • Local knowledge gained through discussions with municipal partners 


Enrolment projections also consider events and trends that may affect enrolment, such as: 

  • School boundary changes resulting from Attendance Area Reviews 

  • More people moving to Thames Valley from other parts of Ontario. This increased during theCOVID-19 pandemic 

  • Numbers of international and newcomer students 

  • Changes in residential growth and development 

Other considerations 

Students from areas with new residential growth may be assigned a designated holding school. However, the number of new dwelling units is tracked in the Planning Area of origin. 

Enrolment projections are expressed as October 31 total pupil counts. Other numbers such as full-time equivalency (FTE) and average daily enrolment (ADE) are calculated separately. Projections included within this report are intended for accommodation planning only and are not to be used for staffing or budget purposes. 

On-the-Ground (OTG) capacity 

On-the-Ground (OTG) capacity is a measure of the number of pupils a school can accommodate. Each type of room in a school has a different pupil capacity. These categories and their capacities are set by the Ministry of Education. 

Utilization Rate 

The utilization rate of a school is calculated by dividing the number of pupils enroled by the OTG capacity, expressed as a percentage. For example, a school with 500 pupils and an OTG capacity of 400 pupils would have a utilization rate of 125%. 

Section 3: The Data

The District 

TVDSB is southwestern Ontario's largest public school board, providing public education to over 83,000 students across an area of over 7,000 sq.km 

Thames Valley District School Board includes the cities of London and St. Thomas as well as the counties of Elgin, Middlesex, and Oxford. We are also proud to partner with the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Munsee-Delaware Nation, and the Oneida Nation of the Thames on Education Services Agreements. 

View larger map (opens in a new window)

 

The Population 

This section presents population and development data for various areas across the district. This information informs the Accommodation Plan where this information is available.

Drivers of Change Across Thames Valley
Table A - Changes in Population Across Thames Valley Between July 1 2024 and July 1 2025

 

Net International Migration 

Net Interprovincial Migration 

Net Intraprovincial Migration 

Natural Increase 

Total 

London (CMA), Ontario (map) 

4386 

-642 

1799 

584 

6127 

Middlesex, Ontario (map) 

4,312 

-607 

202 

749 

4,656 

Oxford, Ontario (map) 

487 

-202 

2,673 

247 

3205 

Elgin, Ontario (map) 

354 

-82 

1944 

-4 

2212 

Total 

9539 

-1533 

6618 

1576 

16200 

Source: Statistics Canada. (2024). Annual demographic estimates, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations: Interactive dashboard. 

London 

The City of London is the largest municipality within the Thames Valley District School Board with an estimated population in 2025 of 494,785. Between 2023 and 2025 the population increased by approximately 20,980. 2023 to 2024 was the highest year of growth during this time (16,250). However, growth slowed substantially between 2024 and 2025, with the City growing by  4,730 people.

The slowdown is attributed to a substantial decrease in net international migration as a result of federal restrictions on immigration as well as a slowdown in residential construction.   

Middlesex County

The County of Middlesex is an upper-tier municipality comprised of eight local municipalities. The majority of the county’s population is concentrated in Strathroy-Caradoc, Middlesex Centre, and Thames Centre. In 2021, the county had a population of approximately 81,700, which is projected to increase by 29,400 residents by 2036 based on the County’s municipal population forecast.  More recently, population growth between 2024 and 2025 has slowed due to declines in both net interprovincial migration and net international migration. This slowdown is primarily driven by a reduction in international migration, largely resulting from federal immigration restrictions, along with a deceleration in residential construction.

Oxford County 

The County of Oxford is an upper-tier municipality composed of eight area municipalities, with three primary urban centres: Woodstock, Tillsonburg, and Ingersoll. In 2024, the County population was estimated at 135,976, representing a 7% increase from 2021. 

Oxford County is experiencing strong population growth, with growth primarily driven by intraprovincial migration (movement of residents from other parts of Ontario), while international immigration remains stable. Net international migration is highest in Woodstock and has remained consistent since 2016-2017.  

Table B - Population Growth Factors in Oxford County between July 2024 and July 2025

 

Net International Migration 

Net Interprovincial Migration 

Net Intraprovincial Migration 

Natural Increase 

Total 

Woodstock (CA) 

271 

-101 

979 

68 

1,217 

Tillsonburg (CA) 

180 

-22 

542 

-63 

637 

Ingersoll (CA) 

24 

-27 

175 

27 

199 

Total 

475 

-150 

1,696 

32 

2,053 

Sources: Statistics Canada. (2024). Annual demographic estimates, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations: Interactive dashboard.

 

St. Thomas and Elgin County 

St. Thomas is a single-tier municipality surrounded by the upper-tier municipality of Elgin County. The County is comprised of seven municipalities, with the primary population centres being Southwold, Central Elgin, and Aylmer. In 2021, the City of St. Thomas had a population of 42,840, while the surrounding Elgin County had a population of 51,912 during the same period, representing a combined increase of 6.5% since 2016. 

More recently, population growth between 2024 and 2025 has slowed down due to federal reductions in immigration and slowdown in housing construction. 

 

The Planning Areas 

Within this Accommodation Plan, Thames Valley is organized by region. Each region has further been divided into Planning Areas. Planning Areas were developed based on a review of demographic profiles, historic trends and future accommodation options. 

TVDSB Planning Areas Map

View larger map (opens in a new window)

 

 

The Planning Areas are:  

PA01: Northwest London
PAO2: North Central/ Northeast London
PA03: West London
PA04: Downtown / Central London
PA05: East London
PA06: Southeast London
PA07: Byron (London)
PA08: West Central London
PA09: South Central London
PA10: South London
PA11: East Central London
PA12: Southwest London

PA13: North Middlesex
PA14: West Middlesex
PA15: Southwest Middlesex
PA16: Central Middlesex
PA17: East Middlesex
PA18: West Oxford
PA19: Woodstock
PA20: North / East Oxford
PA21: South Oxford
PA22: East Elgin / South London
PA23: St. Thomas / Central Elgin
PA24: West Elgin

Table C - Elementary Facilities by Program

Elementary Panel 25/26 

School Count

English Track Grade K-8 

116 

French Immersion Grade 1-8 

10 

English Track Grade K-3 

2 

English Track Grade 4-8 

3 

English Track Grade K-6 

1

English Track (Grade K-8) and French Immersion (Grade 1-8) 

2 

Total Elementary Schools 

134 
Table D - Secondary Facilities by Program

Secondary Panel (25/26) 

School

Count

English Track Grade 9-12 

16 

English Track and French Immersion Grade 9-12 

4

English Track and Technology Emphasis Grade 9-12

5

English Track and Technology Emphasis Grade 9-12 and French Immersion Grade 9-12 

1

Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education

1

Total Secondary Schools 

27

Elementary Enrolment 

 

 Table E - Total Elementary Enrolment By Year
Elementary Historic Enrolment
Year Sum of Enrolment Sum of On The Ground Capacity (OTG)
14/15 50,976 59945
15/16 50,888 59921
16/17 52,048 58817
17/18 53,831 58947
18/19 55,084 59207
19/20 56,617 59058
20/21 55,243 59355
21/22 57,039 59391
22/23 58,505 59287
23/24 59,016 59287
24/25 59,135 59587
25/26 58,599 62057
Table F - Elementary English and Dual Track Enrolment 2025/26 

View Table F (opens in a new window)


Map - 25/26 Elementary English Attendance Areas 

View larger map (opens in a new window)

 

Secondary Enrolment 

Table G - Total Secondary Enrolment By Year
Secondary  Historic Enrolment
Year Sum of Enrolment Sum of On The Ground Capacity (OTG)
14/15 23,768 28029
15/16 23,615 28005
16/17 23,751 27882
17/18 23,763 27894
18/19 23,927 27864
19/20 24,015 27864
20/21 23,857 27864
21/22 24,640 27864
22/23 24,928 27864
23/24 25,439 27864
24/25 25,200 27246
25/26 24,863 27246
 
Table H - Secondary English and Dual Track Enrolment 2025/26

View Table H (opens in a new window)

 
Map - 25/26 Secondary English Attendance Areas 

View larger map (opens in a new window)

 

 

French Immersion

 

Table I - Elementary French Immersion and Dual Track Enrolment 2025/26

View Table I (opens in a new window)


 
Map - 25/26 Elementary French Immersion Attendance Areas
View larger map (opens in a new window)
Table J - Secondary Dual Track Enrolment 2025/26

View Table J (opens in a new window)

Map - 25/26 Secondary French Immersion Attendance Areas

View larger map (opens in a new window)

 

 

 

Holding Zones 

Table K - Holding Zone Enrolment 2025/26

View Table K (opens in a new window)

Portables 

Table L - Portable Counts by School 2025/26

View Table L (opens in a new window)

Section 4: Planning in Action 

Learn more about Capital Projects

Table M - Planned Attendance Area Reviews and Major Capital Projects

View Table M (opens in a new window)

Table N - List of Schools for Facility Collaboration
Planning Area
School Name
School Address
Utilization
25/26
Empty Pupil Spaces
25/26
PA22: East Elgin Springfield Public School 51336 Ron McNeil Line, Springfield 53% 126
PA22: East Elgin Port Burwell Public School 30 Strachan St, Port Burwell 58% 105
PA24: West Elgin West Elgin Secondary School 139 Graham Road, West Lorne 45% 354
PA15: Southwest Middlesex Glencoe District High School 3581 Concession Drive, Glencoe 41% 313
PA13: North Middlesex North Middlesex District High School 100 Main Street, Parkhill 33% 287
PA06: Southeast London Clarke Road Secondary School 300 Clarke Road, London 72% 427
PA04: Downtown / Central London H. B. Beal Secondary School 525 Dundas Street, London 81% 352
PA18: West Oxford Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute 37 Alma Street, Ingersoll 73% 322

Learn more about Collaboration and Co-Build Opportunities

Glossary of Terms 

Average Daily Enrolment (ADE)

Average Daily Enrolment is the average of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) enrolment counts taken on October 31 and March 31 each school year. 

Body Count / Pupil Count 

A measure of student enrolment regardless of individual course load or full or part-time status. 

Census Agglomeration (CA) 

A grouping of one or more adjacent and highly similar municipalities around a population centre. To be classified as a CA the population centre must have a population of at least 10,000. Unlike CMAs, CAs are retired if the population centre declines below 10,000. CAs are used by Statistics Canada for census tracking and measurement. 

Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) 

A grouping of one or more adjacent and highly similar municipalities around a population centre. To be classified as a CMA the total population must be over 100,000 with at least 50,000 or more living within the defined population centre. CMAs are used by Statistics Canada for census tracking and measurement. 

Education Services Agreement 

An agreement made between the First Nation and the TVDSB that outlines the provision of educational services, supports, and programs for students who live in the First Nation but are attending TVDSB schools. 

English as a Second Language (ESL) 

Support program for students who have attended school and can read and write in their first language at an age-appropriate level. 

English Literacy Development (ELD) 

Support program for students who have missed all or some of their schooling or who cannot yet read and write in their first language at an age-appropriate level. 

Facility Utilization Rate 

A school's enrolment divided by its Ministry rated on-the-ground capacity measured as a percentage value. Utilization rates do not include temporary accommodation measures (e.g. Portables, Portapaks). 

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) 

A measure of enrolment relative to full course load counts. Student taking a full-time course load counts as 1.0 FTE. 

Migration/Immigration 

Movement of people from one place to another. Migration is typically defined as the movement away from a place whereas immigration is the movement to a place. 

  • Interprovincial: Movement of people between provinces (i.e. Quebec to Ontario). 

  • Intraprovincial: Movement of people within a province (i.e. Toronto to London). 

On-the-ground Capacity (OTG) 

Measured in pupil places, the OTG is the official and permanent operating capacity of a school facility which may include additions or alterations to the school building. The OTG capacity of a school facility does not include temporary accommodation measures in place (e.g. portables, portapaks). 

Pupil Place Deficit/Surplus 

A measurement of the difference between projected enrolment and OTG. The output value is used to identify the available space within a school facility. A deficit is identified as a negative value where enrolment exceeds capacity, whereas a surplus is shown as a positive value where capacity exceeds enrolment.