Secondary French Immersion (FI) Program & Transportation Update
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board continues to expand its secondary French Immersion (FI) offerings, with programs now available at St. David CSS (since 2023) and St. Benedict CSS (since 2024), and the new school being built in East Kitchener set to open in 2026. As part of this growth, the Board is aligning transportation services for FI students with the existing transportation procedure APO012 to ensure consistency and equity across all sites. Under this alignment, transportation will continue for current Grades 10 and 11 Out of Boundary FI students at St. David until their graduation. Grade 9 FI students living in the future 7-12 school boundary who started at St. David in 2025/26 will continue to receive busing in 2025/26, before transitioning to the new school for Grade 10 in 2026/27.
In 2026/27:
- Students graduating from St Anne (K) will attend the new 7-12 school in East Kitchener and will receive busing in accordance with APO012 if they are in the school’s English catchment area.
- Students graduating from Sir Edgar Bauer will continue to attend St David and will continue receive busing in accordance with APO012 if they are in the school’s English catchment area.
- Students graduating from Our Lady of Fatima will continue to attend St. Benedict and will continue to receive busing in accordance with APO012 if they are in the school’s English catchment area.
Effective September 2026, FI students attending St. David, St. Benedict or the new 7-12 school for French Immersion from outside a school’s English boundaries will not be eligible for transportation, with the exception of FI Students in grades 11 & 12 that graduated from St Anne (K), who will continue to receive hub-style transportation to St. David until they graduate.
