Ottawa's public school board eyes 'late winter break' for 2022-23 school year

A empty teacher's desk is pictured in an empty classroom is seen on Sept. 5, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Ottawa's public school board is planning a "late winter break" next school year, with the holiday break beginning two days before Christmas.

The Ottawa Carleton District School Board asked parents and students for feedback on when to have the winter break during the 2022-23 school year.  The two options were Dec. 17 to Jan. 2 or Dec. 24 to Jan. 8.

Over 65 per cent of the 17,500 respondents selected Option 2, with the last day of classes on Dec. 23 and classes resuming on Jan. 9.

"In addition, we received over 1,200 comments with the most common request being the establishment of a consistent winter break across all four Ottawa school boards," says a report for Tuesday's Ottawa Carleton District School Board meeting.

"In response, the recommended calendars do have a later start and end to the winter holiday break which we understand to be aligned with the planning of the other three Ottawa school districts."

The Ministry of Education had initially proposed a winter break of classes ending on Dec. 16, and resuming on Jan. 3.

The proposed school year calendar for 2022-23 sees classes for OCDSB elementary and secondary school students begin on Sept. 6. The holiday break runs Dec. 24 to Jan. 8, with the March Break scheduled for March 13 to 17, 2023.

This school year, both the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and Ottawa Catholic School Board held winter break from Dec. 18 to Jan. 2, returning to class on Jan. 3. The two French school boards in Ottawa began winter break on Dec. 24, and returned to class on Jan. 10.