At its June 23, 2020 Board Meeting, Trustees approved the following motion: “That the next attendance area review address the significant student distribution problem in the City of London, pending Capital Priorities submission results, as well as the overcapacity accommodation issue at Roch Carrier French Immersion Public School.”
The subject report provides options for resolving the overcapacity issue at Roch Carrier French Immersion (FI) Public School (PS) and a separate report to be presented in November will provide options for addressing student distribution challenges in the City of London.
Roch Carrier is Oxford County’s only FI elementary school. Due to the small facility size (on-the-ground capacity of 282 pupil places) and overall enrolment growth in Oxford County, the school is sustaining accommodation pressure.
In addition to enrolment pressure at Roch Carrier FI PS, there is also a growing accommodation challenge across English-track schools in the City of Woodstock. There are a number of elementary schools that are experiencing capacity constraints and where enrolment is projected to steadily increase.
However, there are also schools that are underutilized with stable or declining enrolment. Through discussions with Ministry of Education Capital Program Branch staff regarding the TVDSB’s 2019-2020 Capital Priorities Grant Program submission, Administration was encouraged to develop accommodation solutions in the City of Woodstock that address both enrolment pressure and underutilization of schools prior to pursuing funding for capital investments in this area.