A newly-built public elementary school in southeast London will no longer accept new students come the new year, as it has exceeded the population it was intended to have.
During its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Board of Trustees for the Thames Valley District School approved a motion to cap enrolment at Summerside Public School and have incoming families attend another school.
Starting January 1, 2023, all new families living in the Summerside P.S. attendance area with children in kindergarten to Grade 8 will be sent to John P. Robarts P.S. The change will not affect current students at Summerside, or their younger siblings, as the board conducted a survey to ensure there would be enough space to keep siblings together.
“Since opening in September 2022, Summerside Public School has experienced significant enrolment pressure due to rapid residential growth in the area,” read a statement from Geoff Vogt, the superintendent of facility services and capital planning. “The school was designed for 553 students. With 12 portables on site, it currently accommodates 811 students, and enrolment is expected to keep growing.”
Prior to the school’s opening this fall, the TVDSB submitted requests to province to expand the school, however the application was not approved. Instead, the board has applied to build another school in southeast London, an area that continues to see rapid residential development.
The average time it takes to open a school is around four years Vogt said. That’s only after the application is approved by the Ministry of Education and land acquisition has taken place. In the meantime, he expects the school will keep its dozen portables on site for the “foreseeable future.”
Every year going forward, the TVDSB said it will review enrolment at Summerside P.S. to determine whether space has opened up. The review will take place by the end of the first week of each September. If there are families with school-aged children in the attendance area who want to attend, the board will then conduct a randomized selection.
“My recommendation to new families would be to check our online tool, School Locator, prior to registering your child,” said Vogt, “We update this tool every time an attendance area changes. When you enter your home address, it will show you what schools your child is designated to attend.”
Families with exceptional circumstances may apply to have their children attend a school outside their immediate attendance area. More information about school boundaries and attendance areas can be found on the board’s website.
