The Thames Valley District School Board has announced it is going forward with plans to review enrolment at elementary schools in St. Thomas.
A report brought forward during a meeting of the school board of trustees late last month highlighted issues at nine English elementary schools across the St. Thomas-area where the student population is not evenly distributed.
The report, dubbed the City of St. Thomas Elementary Panel Attendance Area Review, states that in general, utilization is higher at schools located on the periphery of St. Thomas, while facilities located within central St. Thomas are underutilized. The board expects this trend will intensify over the next several years as residential developments go up in high growth areas, specifically in the northwest end, requiring a new school to be built.
A number of recommended boundary adjustments are included in the report in an effort to balance enrolment across schools. The purpose of the review is to present initial options of potential boundary changes and to seek trustee guidance to begin public consultation.
“There’s many potential benefits to balancing enrolment in St. Thomas such as fewer portables and less travel time for students,” said Geoff Vogt, the board’s superintendent of facility services and capital planning. “This review will also strengthen the board’s business case to the Ministry of Education for a new elementary school in northwest St. Thomas.”
Next steps of the review will include forming a committee with parent/guardian representatives from each school included in the report. Sub-committees will also be created to hold meetings with their school communities to gather public feedback.
Parents and guardians of children at the affected schools which include Kettle Creek P.S., Mitchell Hepburn P.S., Forest Park P.S., John Wise P.S., Elgin Court P.S., June Rose Callwood P.S., Locke’s P.S., Southwold P.S., and New Sarum P.S., who are interested in joining the attendance review committee, are invited to complete a form and submit it to their school’s principal by 8 a.m. December 23.
After the public input process, a final report will be presented to the board of trustees in the spring for approval. If approved, the changes are expected to take effect by September 2024.
More information about the attendance area review for St. Thomas can be found on the TVDSB’s website.
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