The First Attendance Area Review Committee Meeting is Happening Later this Month

Thursday, 11 March 2021 13:47

The TVDSB Board has launched an attendance area review of Woodstock Elementary schools to address the growing need of French Immersion and area schools being under or over utilized.

WOODSTOCK - The Thames Valley District School Board is inviting all school community members to the first Attendance Area Review committee for Woodstock Elementary Schools.

The meeting is happening virtually on Thursday March 25th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and you can find a link to attend or view the agenda here.

The review will address the significant pressures faced by schools in Woodstock due to the growing French Immersion demand. Board Chair Bill McKinnon says enrolment imbalances have left some Woodstock schools underutilized while others are overcapacity.

"This much-needed review will help set the stage for future capital investment in Woodstock schools as more and more families discover the excellent lifestyle our community has to offer. This will also help meet the growing demand for high quality French Immersion programming."

Roch Carrier French Immersion Public School is experiencing significant overcapacity due to the school's small size and continued strong demand for French Immersion programming across Oxford County. Roch Carrier is TVDSB’s only French Immersion school in the county.

Meanwhile schools such as Oliver Stephens and Eastdale are only operating at 65 percent capacity right now, while Springbank Public School requires 10 portable classrooms to deal with current overcapacity.

Right now it's being recommended to use Oliver Stephens Public School as the site of a dual-track English and French Immersion school to relieve overcapacity at Roch Carrier French Immersion Public School. The report also recommends balancing enrolment throughout Woodstock by adjusting attendance areas at Algonquin, Eastdale, Springbank and Winchester Street public schools.