West Central Accommodation Review

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As part of a multi-year accommodation review strategy, the OCDSB is conducting a review of several schools in the West Central area. This review is designed to create a sustainable, long-term plan for our schools, ensuring balanced enrolment and enhanced program access for students.

The schools included in this review are:

Broadview Public School
Churchill Alternative School
Elmdale Public School
Fisher Park/Summit Alternative Public School*
Hilson Avenue Public School
Woodroffe Avenue Public School (option area)*

*While these schools will participate in the review, the process might only affect a specific section of their catchment area.

Planning for the future

As the phase-out of the Middle French Immersion and Alternative programs proceeds, we are working with the West Central community to create a balanced, long-term plan for these schools. Through this review, we aim to define three key areas for September 2027:

Attendance boundaries: The geographic area from which students will be designated to attend the schools.
Program offerings: The educational programs that will be offered at the schools.
Grade structures: The grades that the schools will offer.

Consultation process

Staff have developed a proposed plan for the West Central schools, which has been informed by feedback and suggestions received from the community.

Proposal

On May 6th, a public consultation meeting was held to provide more information about the proposal. The meeting included a staff presentation, a question and answer session, and an opportunity to share comments. Click the Proposal tab to view the full information package. An online survey was open between May 6th and May 13th to gather public comments on the proposal.

Recommendation

After considering the initial survey results, staff will post a final recommendation report in May. We want to ensure your voice continues to be heard. The community will have another chance to provide comments online before the report is formally presented to the OCDSB Supervisor - Robert Plamondon. This ensures the Supervisor has the opportunity to review all community input before making the final decision in June, if possible.

Proposal

Staff have developed a proposal to establish a sustainable model for the West Central schools following the phase-out of the Alternative (ALT) and Middle French Immersion (MFI) programs. This framework, scheduled to be implemented in September 2027, outlines a comprehensive plan for:

Balancing enrolment: Stabilizing student populations as the ALT and MFI programs phase out.
Program introduction: Launching Early French Immersion (EFI) at sites currently designated as English with Core French-only (ENG) to ensure long-term viability.
Optimizing feeding patterns: Realigning school attendance boundaries to ensure smoother transitions for students

May 7th: Update on proposed sibling provisions

Thank you to the parents who joined our May 6th public meeting and provided their feedback. We also appreciate the submissions we have received through Engage OCDSB.

The input shared by the parents in attendance is essential as we work to refine the West Central Accommodation Review proposal.

At the meeting, we heard a clear message regarding the importance of family unity and sibling transitions. We understand that the stability of having children attend the same school is a top priority for our families.

As a result of your feedback, we are revising the sibling legacy provisions of the current proposal.

What is changing?
Under the updated proposal, if a family has a student enroled in one of the schools within the West Central Accommodation Review as of the 2027 implementation year, all of that student's younger siblings will be granted permission to attend the same school, regardless of the younger siblings' age, provided the family remains a resident in the original school catchment.

We are also reviewing the responses to the Engage OCDSB survey to ensure all perspectives are considered. A final proposal that reflects these considerations will be shared with the community by the end of May.

Thank you for your continued advocacy and partnership.

Proposed program transitions

Churchill Alternative School: Currently an ALT site, Churchill Alternative is proposed to host a new EFI program. This will serve future students who would be directed to Broadview Public School or Elmdale Public School for grades JK-6, and Fisher Park Public School or Broadview Public School for grades 7-8.
Hilson Public School: Currently an ENG/MFI site, Hilson Public School is proposed to introduce an EFI program to become a dual-tracked site (ENG/EFI). The EFI boundary that will be introduced will accommodate future students who would be directed to Elmdale Public School for grades JK–6.

Implementation strategy

To ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruptions for families, the district proposes the following:

Gradual phase-in: New programs will begin with JK and SK, and continue to add one grade per year. This "slow-growth" model reduces the need for current students to move between schools.
No changes for SK-grade 8 students in 2027: If a student is already at one of the six impacted schools and will be in SK through grade 8 in 2027, they are not affected by these review changes. They will stay in their current school and program until they graduate. If a child starts SK in 2027, they have a one-time option to remain at their current school or move to their newly designated school based on their home address.
Sibling legacy provision: If a family has a student enroled in one of the schools within the West Central Accommodation Review as of the 2027 implementation year, all of that student's younger siblings will be granted permission to attend the same school, regardless of the younger siblings' age, provided the family remains a resident in the original school catchment.

Proposed changes by school

View the sections below to learn more about how these changes will impact each school participating in the review:

Boundaries: Attendance boundaries for JK-6, 7-8 ENG and JK-8 EFI will be realigned. To minimize disruption and student movement, the existing boundaries will be phased out gradually (one grade per year, with the exception of JK and SK being phased in simultaneously in 2027).
One-time option: Students who begin SK in September 2027 (those who are in JK in 2026) will be given a one-time option to remain at their current school, or to register at their newly designated school based on the proposed boundaries.
EFI option area: The grade 7-8 EFI option area between Broadview Public School and Woodroffe Avenue Public School will be phasing out of Broadview Public School starting in 2034.
Programs: There will be no changes to the current programming. ENG and EFI will continue to be offered.
Sibling provision: If a family has a student enroled in one of the schools within the West Central Accommodation Review as of the 2027 implementation year, all of that student's younger siblings will be granted permission to attend the same school, regardless of the younger siblings' age, provided the family remains a resident in the original school catchment.

Programs: Effective September 2027, the EFI program will be introduced at Churchill Alternative School. This program will be phased in by one grade per year, with the exception of JK and SK being phased in simultaneously in 2027. This is to ensure the grade 1 cohort at Churchill Alternative School in 2028 has a program to enter into.
Boundaries: In alignment with current plans, the existing ALT attendance boundary will be retired gradually to avoid impacting students currently enroled in the program, while the EFI program will be phased in simultaneously.
Sibling provision: If a family has a student enroled in one of the schools within the West Central Accommodation Review as of the 2027 implementation year, all of that student's younger siblings will be granted permission to attend the same school, regardless of the younger siblings' age, provided the family remains a resident in the original school catchment.

Boundaries: The attendance boundary for JK-6 EFI will be realigned. To minimize disruption and student movement, the existing boundaries will be phased-out gradually (one grade per year, with the exception of JK and SK being phased in simultaneously in 2027).
One-time option: Students who begin SK in September 2027 (those who are in JK in 2026) will be given a one-time option to remain at their current school, or to register at their newly designated school based on the proposed boundaries.
Program: There will be no changes to the current programming. EFI will continue to be offered.
Sibling provision: If a family has a student enroled in one of the schools within the West Central Accommodation Review as of the 2027 implementation year, all of that student's younger siblings will be granted permission to attend the same school, regardless of the younger siblings' age, provided the family remains a resident in the original school catchment.

Boundaries: Attendance boundaries for grade 7-8 ENG and EFI will be realigned. To minimize disruption and student movement, the existing boundaries will be phased out gradually (one grade per year starting in 2034, to align with the proposed JK-6 boundary phase-in).
Programs: There will be no changes to the current programming. ENG and EFI will continue to be offered. The planned phase-out of the MFI and ALT programs remain on schedule.

Programs: The school will maintain its existing ENG program, with minor adjustments to the current ENG boundary, while simultaneously phasing in the EFI program.
Boundaries: Attendance boundaries for JK-6 ENG will be realigned To minimize disruption and student movement, the existing boundary will be phased out gradually (one grade per year, with the exception of JK and SK being phased in simultaneously in 2027).
One-time option: Students who begin SK in September 2027 (those who are in JK in 2026) will be given a one-time option to remain at their current school, or to register at their newly designated school based on the proposed boundaries.
EFI boundary: In establishing Hilson Public School’s EFI boundary, a smaller boundary was necessary to limit the impact to Elmdale Public School.
Sibling provision: If a family has a student enroled in one of the schools within the West Central Accommodation Review as of the 2027 implementation year, all of that student's younger siblings will be granted permission to attend the same school, regardless of the younger siblings' age, provided the family remains a resident in the original school catchment.

Boundaries: The attendance boundary for grade 7-8 EFI will be realigned. To minimize disruption and student movement, the existing boundaries will be phased out gradually (one grade per year starting in 2034, to align with the proposed JK-6 boundary phase-in).
Programs: There will be no changes to the current programming. EFI will continue to be offered.

Information package

For more details about the proposed changes, including proposed boundary maps, view our information package from the May 6th public consultation meeting: