Delayed Stittsville high school slated to open Sept. 17

Maplewood Secondary School in Stittsville is seen in this Aug. 30, 2024 image. (Katelyn Wilson/CTV News Ottawa)

A new Stittsville high school that was not ready for the start of the school year this week now has an opening date.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) told families in a note Friday that Maplewood Secondary School should be ready to accept students starting Tuesday, Sept. 17, barring any unforeseen complications.

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"City of Ottawa officials have been on-site all week as the contractor (Tambro Construction Ltd.) completes the required work for occupancy," the email form the school board says. "We anticipate an occupancy inspection will be conducted next week and we will send you a confirmation email by noon on Wednesday, Sept. 11."

The OCDSB school year started Tuesday, but certain parts of the Maplewood Secondary School were not up to code, so the OCDSB sent Grade 7 and 8 students to a different school in Bells Corners while Grade 9 students took classes from home.

The OCDSB says there will be some schedule changes for all Maplewood students next week.

"To facilitate this transition, all students (grades 7-9) will be learning from home (asynchronous) under the teacher’s guidance on Friday, Sept. 13 and Monday, Sept. 16," the OCDSB said. "Maplewood staff will use these two days to move equipment from DA Moodie School and prepare the learning spaces at your school. Your student’s teacher will provide more details regarding instruction for these two days."

Parents and guardians should receive an email from the school next week with more information.

"Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigated the construction delays. We acknowledge the inconvenience and stress this may have caused and are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for your child," the OCDSB said. 

Maplewood Secondary School opens with 807 students in Grades 7-9 from the Stittsville area this school year. It will add a grade each year until it becomes a Grades 7-12 school in September 2027.

--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Tyler Fleming