East Oxford Parents Respond to AARC Announcement

Friday, 13 March 2026 05:56

Parents of students at East Oxford Central Public School are concerned about the East Oxford Elementary Panel Attendance Area Review.

EAST OXFORD - Members of the East Oxford community are ready to stand up for their school.

The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) announced the creation of the East Oxford Elementary Panel Attendance Area Review on March 2nd, citing high enrollment as the reason.

However, local parent Allie Murray finds that hard to believe, especially looking at the enrollment numbers for East Oxford Central Public School included in the report provided by the school board.

"In 2023 we had 354 students, in 2024 we had 351, and this year we have 350. Last year we also had four kindergarten classes and this year we decreased to three."

Murray has one child currently attending East Oxford Central, and she plans to enroll her two younger children there in the future. However that plan could be derailed, because the Attendance Area Review will consider the possibility of changing the attendance areas so some students are sent to Emily Stowe Public School or Central Public School instead.

Murray says this could have a major impact on their small community.

"It's not a typical boundary adjustment like in the city where neighbourhoods blend from one to the next seamlessly. The East Oxford Central School area is a tight knit community where everyone knows everyone and everyone helps everyone. It's the kind of community that defines the phrase it takes a village because all of these families know each other, they have been there for generations, and they want to continue sending their kids there for generations."

She adds the fact that Thames Valley is currently being run by a province appointed supervisor at the moment, and not the elected trustees, is also concerning.

"Our trustees are the ones that are in our community and they a deep lived in knowledge of our community and identity of it."

Murray says signing up to be part of the Attendance Area Review Committee (AARC) is the only way members of the public can have their voices heard, unless they want to submit their questions and concerns online here.

Murray is one of many parents who have already signed up for the AARC, and other parents have until 8:00 a.m. on March 27th to do the same. All of the AARC members will be attending scheduled meeting at East Oxford Central Public School on Wednesday, April 1st at 6:00 p.m..

The TVDSB says changes to attendance areas would only take effect after public consultation. They would also have to receive approval from the supervisor, so the earliest any changes could be implemented would be the 2027-2028 school year.