Ottawa public school board shuffling teachers at 40 schools as it deals with 1,100 student drop in elementary enrolment
Ottawa's largest school board will finish reorganizing staff and students at 40 schools this week, as it deals with a significant drop in enrolment this school year.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) says enrolment was 1,130 students below projections in elementary schools in September, including 750 fewer Kindergarten students.
"As a result of being down that number of students in elementary, we have had some reorganization, and that reorganization is taking place this week," Shawn Lehman, OCDSB Superintendent, told trustees earlier this week.
"As of Friday, all students in our elementary classes that are in new classes will be with their new teacher."
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board's 2024-25 budget estimated enrolment at 51,683 elementary students for this school year. The drop in enrolment is spread out at schools across the city, trustees were told.
Lehman says enrolment has "built up" since the start of the school year, with approximately 700 new students arriving in schools.
The school board says due to the decrease in enrolment, it cut 42 full-time equivalent positions across the system, impacting 40 schools. Thirty-eight schools cut one class, while two schools have been reduced by two classes. A memo to trustees said two schools added one class as part of the school reorganization process.
Secondary school enrolment is just under 27,000 students this school year, which is up 10 students from enrolment projections.
Trustees were told that the lower enrolment will have a "significant impact" on the public school board's finances for the 2024-25 school year, but revised estimates are not available at this time.
While some trustees wondered if the enrolment decline was due to the OCDSB's elementary school program review, Director of Education Pino Buffone said the drop is due to a number of factors.
"It appears, from our perspective, there are multiple factors, including one of the important ones at the elementary level is families having access to a community school for the programs they're looking for and having to, in some cases, bypass local schools to get to a program they're looking for," Buffone said.
Staff added feedback gathered from staff and principals on the declining enrolment include families moving neighbourhoods or moving out of the Ottawa area, but the reasons have not been consistent.
The OCDSB is conducting a review of all elementary school programs, including changes to French immersion and special education classes, with recommendations for changes expected in the spring.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Who should lead the Liberals? 'None of the above,' poll finds
As questions loom over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership, a new Nanos Research poll commissioned for CTV News says a quarter of Canadians say none of the potential candidates appeal to them.
Canada's response to Trump deportation plan a key focus of revived cabinet committee
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's promise to launch a mass deportation of millions of undocumented people has the Canadian government looking at its own border.
New technology solves mystery of late First World War soldier's flower sent home to Canada
In 1916, Harold Wrong plucked a flower from the fields of Somme, France and tucked it into a letter he mailed home to Toronto. For decades, the type of flower sent remained a mystery.
U.S. election maps: How did 2024 compare to 2020 and 2016?
Though two states have yet to be officially called, the U.S. election map has mostly been settled. How does it compare with the previous two elections?
Canada rent report: What landlords are asking tenants to pay
Average asking rents declined nationally on a year-over-year basis for the first time in more than three years in October, said a report out Thursday.
N.S. school 'deeply sorry' for asking service members not to wear uniforms at Remembrance Day ceremony
An elementary school in the Halifax area has backed away from a request that service members not wear uniforms to the school's Remembrance Day ceremony.
Remembrance Day: What's open and closed in Canada?
While banks and post offices will be closed nationwide on Remembrance Day, shops and businesses could be open depending on where you live in Canada.
BREAKING Judicial recount for Surrey-Guildford confirms B.C. NDP's majority
The B.C. New Democrats have a majority government of 47 seats after a judicial recount in the riding of Surrey-Guildford gave the party's candidate 22 more votes than the provincial Conservatives.
48,584 space heaters recalled in Canada after burn injury in U.S.
Health Canada has announced a recall for electric space heaters over potential fire and burn risks, a notice published Thursday reads.