St. John Boundary Review

*New* – The Board of Trustees approved the following motions on April 27, 2020. In summary, the approved boundary changes are in accordance with Staff Recommended Option 7b. Grade 6 and 7 students currently attending St. John and Our Lady of Lourdes, and their siblings, are being offered the opportunity to stay in their current school. Students living in Area M currently attending Holy Rosary may stay at that school, with transportation if they qualify. Grade 6 and 7 students who have been attending the four review area schools during the 2019/20 school year with Out of Boundary permission, may remain in their current school. Grandparenting is optional, and families can choose to move all students to their new school in September. Please see Letter summarizing decision.

  1. 2020-52– It was moved by Trustee Price and seconded by Trustee da Silva:

That the boundaries of Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. John, and St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary Schools (CES) be modified in accordance with Option 7b, effective September 2020.

— Carried by consensus

  1. 2020-53– It was moved by Trustee Van Alphen and seconded by Trustee Dupuis:

That students attending Holy Rosary CES during the 2019/20 school year and living in sub-area M be grandparented, with transportation if they qualify.

— Carried by consensus

  1. 2020-54– It was moved by Trustee Reitzel and seconded by Trustee Gravelle:

That effective September 2020, any students not attending Holy Rosary CES during the 2019/20 school year who live in sub-area M, including siblings of existing Holy Rosary students be directed to St. Nicholas CES.

— Carried by consensus

  1. 2020-55– It was moved by Trustee price and seconded by Trustee schmalz:

That students attending Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. John, and St. Nicholas during the 2019/20 school year who are in grades 6 and 7, and their existing siblings who currently attend the same school, be grandparented to remain at their current school, with transportation provided if they qualify. Effective September 2020, any students not attending Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. John, and St. Nicholas, including siblings not currently attending school, will be directed to their new home school.

— Carried by consensus

  1. 2020-56– It was moved by Trustee Van Alphen and seconded by Trustee Weiler:

That existing students attending Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. John, and St. Nicholas on out of boundary permission in accordance with APA003 during the 2019/20 school year, return to their designated home school, except existing grade 6 and 7 students, who can continue to attend without transportation.

— Carried by consensus

  1. 2020-57– It was moved by Trustee Dupuis and seconded by Trustee Reitzel:

That an appeal process, led by board staff, will be offered to families of existing and affected out of boundary students who believe their extenuating circumstances should be considered.

— Carried by consensus

  1. 2020-58– It was moved by Trustee da Silva and seconded by Trustee Dupuis:

That Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. John, and St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary Schools (CES) be closed to out of boundary admissions effective immediately.

— Carried by consensus

  1. 2020-59– It was moved by Trustee Gravelle and seconded by Trustee Weiler:

That a Transition Planning Committee be formed to support all students who will be moving to a new school.

— Carried by consensus

*New* – The StJohnReview email has been reactivated for the Out of Boundary appeal process only, which applies to JK to Grade 5 students currently attending Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. John, and St. Nicholas.

Schools Involved

Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. John, and St. Nicholas

Purpose

St. John is WCDSB’s fastest growing elementary school. It is also one of the largest schools (based on enrolment) and has one of the smallest sites. The specific goal of this boundary review is to reduce enrolment pressure at St. John, effective September 2020.

Initial Staff Report

Below is the Initial Staff Report that was presented to the Board of Trustees on October 28, 2019, with the recommendation to initiate a boundary review.

If you wish to receive email updates throughout the review, please subscribe at the top of this page.

Written comments may be submitted by email, mail, or dropped off at your school.

Email: StJohnReview@wcdsb.ca

Mail: 35 Weber Street West, P.O. Box 91116, Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 4G2

All data, reports, submissions, parent/ratepayer comments received during the Review process are subject to Freedom of Information/Protection of Privacy legislation. All written public comments received throughout the process will be posted on this website and become part of the public record. Comments that contain derogatory or otherwise inappropriate comments and will not be distributed.

Will current students be grandparented?
Grandparenting clauses have not yet been discussed and will be determined through the review process.

Can families request to stay at their current school instead of moving to a different school?
When a decision to move an area to a different school occurs, students are expected to transfer to that school, subject to any grandparenting provisions that may be determined through this review.

Where should I register my child for kindergarten?
As no decisions have been made on changes to school boundaries, please register your child at your existing/home school as normal. Should school boundaries change after you register your child, you will be notified of the change and any necessary information you will need for your new school will be provided.

Have any boundary change decisions already been made?
No. The Board of Trustees will decide on any changes to school boundaries on April 27, 2020.

When are we moving?
As noted above, no decisions have been made by the Board of Trustees.  However, staff has recommended a September 2020 implementation date to address the lack of capacity at St. John.

What is the rationale for not allowing school staff and their immediate family members to be on the Boundary Review Committee (BRC)?
Board staff and their immediate family may have competing interests in their roles as parents and employees of the Board, whether real or perceived. In order to keep the process as transparent as possible, the preference is to have a boundary review committee member wear only one “hat”.

Are the two options in the Initial Staff Report the only options that are being considered?
Other options will be considered by the BRC if there is supporting rationale.

How can I provide feedback?
There will be two public meetings: January 20, 2020 and February 12, 2020. Parents, guardians, and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide feedback on options and implementation recommendations through a survey tool. Written comments can also be sent to stjohnreview@wcdsb.ca. All written comments will be shared with the Boundary Review Committee and the Board of Trustees prior to a decision.

Once a recommendation is provided, there will be two opportunities for parents and stakeholders to register as a delegation to the Board of Trustees to address the Board directly with their comments prior to a decision.

All opinions are welcome and we encourage parents and stakeholders to THINK before sending their comments (this is what we teach our students).
Is it True?
Is it Helpful?
Is it Inspiring?
Is it Necessary?
Is it Kind?

Why are you doing this review now?
St. John is the fastest growing Catholic elementary school in the Region. It also has one of the smallest sites. There are currently six portables on site which occupy a large portion of the playground. Additional portables would reduce the playground further and may require additional washrooms in the school.   An immediate solution is needed for St. John.

How are enrolment projections created?
There are four elements to enrolment projections: existing enrolment, housing development, retention rates (the number of students in Grade X that enter into Grade X+1 the following year), and birth data (used to predict the number of students entering into JK for years later).

In addition, the Board’s enrolment projections are informed by municipal planning processes (e.g. Official Plans, Environmental Assessments, Secondary Plans, etc.), internal enrolment analyses, experiences of other school boards, and regional population forecasts.

Meeting Information

Public Consultation Sessions

Parents, guardians and the general public are invited to all public consultation sessions. These consultation sessions will follow an open house format. There will be an opportunity to ask questions of staff and submit written comments.

All written comments will be posted on this website and become part of the public record.

St. John CES, 99 Strange Street, Kitchener
4:00pm-8:00pm
Open House – Drop in any time between 4 and 8pm to view the options, talk with staff, and share your feedback. Please note that there will be no presentation.

Display Boards:

Holy Rosary CEC, 485 Thorndale Drive, Waterloo
3:00pm to 8:00pm
Drop in any time between 3pm and 8pm to view the preferred option and implementation recommendations, speak with school board staff and provide feedback to the Boundary Review Committee.

Purpose:
To receive feedback on the preferred option – Option 7 – and implementation recommendations, prior to finalizing the option for recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

The Preferred Option – Option 7 – proposes to move students, effective September 2020:

  • Areas B and E from St. John to Our Lady of Lourdes
  • Areas F and G from St. John to Holy Rosary
  • Areas X and Y from Our Lady of Lourdes to St. Nicholas
  • Area M from Holy Rosary to St. Nicholas (students living in this area who were previously moved from St. Agatha would be “grandparented” to Holy Rosary)
  • All students currently attending these schools on out-of-boundary permission would return to their designated home school.

Students currently in Grade 7 would be “grandparented” to their current school to finish their Grade 8 year.

Display Boards:

Let us know what you think! Please fill out the Thought Exchange Survey.

Boundary Review Committee Meetings

The following meetings are working sessions of the Boundary Review Committee (BRC). These meetings are open to the public. Parents and community members will not be allowed to actively participate in these meetings but are invited to listen and observe.

  • Time: 6:00 PM
  • Location: St. John Catholic Elementary School (99 Strange Street, Kitchener)

Materials

  • Time: 6:00 PM
  • Location: Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary School (55 Roslin Avenue South, Waterloo)

Materials

  • Time: 6:00 PM
  • Location: Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary School (485 Thorndale Drive, Waterloo)

Materials

  • Time: 6:00 PM
  • Location: St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary School (525 Laurelwood Drive, Waterloo)

Materials:

Board Meetings

All Board Meetings are open to the public.

  • Time: 6:00 PM
  • Location: Catholic Education Centre (35 Weber Street West, Kitchener)
  • Purpose: Staff to present recommendations to the Board of Trustees and opportunity for delegations

Final Staff Report – St John Boundary Review

  • Time: 6:00 PM
  • Location: Catholic Education Centre (35 Weber Street West, Kitchener)
  • Purpose: Staff to address questions of clarification for the Board of Trustees and opportunity for delegations

Staff Report – Response to Trustee Questions

  • Time: 6:00 PM
  • Location: Catholic Education Centre (35 Weber Street West, Kitchener)
  • Purpose: Board of Trustees to make a final decision. No delegations.

Staff Report – Response to Trustee Questions #2

Delegations wishing to address a committee or the Board are required to e-mail Alice.Figueiredo@wcdsb.ca by the Wednesday prior to the meeting. Each delegation will be allowed ten minutes. For further information, please see the Protocol for Delegations.

Individuals wishing to appear as delegates at the April 6, 2020 and April 20, 2020 meetings of the Board of Trustees will be provided with the opportunity to present through electronic means.  Participants will require access to the internet, a reliable device, and the ability to use a web browser.  Technical support will be provided in advance of the board meeting if required.

School Council Presentations

Staff will present the Initial Staff Report at each of the following school as part of their November school council meetings.

St. Nicholas – Tuesday November 5, 2019 – 6:30pm
Our Lady of Lourdes – Tuesday November 19, 2019 – 6:30pm
Holy Rosary – Tuesday November 12, 2019 – 6:30pm
St. John – Thursday November 21, 2019 – 6:00pm