As parents vow to leave OCDSB, the Catholic board is creating waiting lists

As parents warn that they are leaving Ottawa’s largest school board over elementary boundary changes, the Ottawa Catholic School Board says it’s working to minimize possible disruptions over children who are registered at multiple schools.

That includes working with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board to ensure that children aren’t registered at both boards, said Sharlene Hunter, a spokesperson for the Catholic board.

“Every year we have some students from our board that choose to leave our board and register at another school for a variety of reasons. We also welcome students from other boards that move to the OCSB for their own reasons,” said Hunter.

A sweeping elementary school review at the OCDSB that includes changing boundaries for some schools has outraged parents. If OCDSB trustees approve the proposals next month — likely with some modifications — the changes will be in place in the fall of 2026.

In an ordinary year, between 6,000 ad 8,000 students change schools. Under the OCDSB proposal, 11,000 students will change schools in September 2026 if the proposal is approved.

The Catholic board is aware that the fight over school boundary changes may affect its own enrolment.

The Catholic board anticipates that some families will choose to remain registered in the OCDSB while also registering for an OCSB school in case of boundary changes, said Hunter. However, when families are registered at two school boards, it makes staffing and projections a challenge, said Hunter.

“We will work co-operatively with the OCDSB to try and minimize the number of families that register for multiple schools so that both boards can have accurate projections.”

Where needed due to space constraints, the Catholic board will establish waiting lists for families interested in registering, said Hunter. There must be proof that the student has been de-registered from their existing school and are not registering for multiple schools in different boards in case of changes to their home school boundary, she said.

Woodroffe Avenue Public School parent Elizabeth MacDonald registered her daughter at Our Lady of Fatima, a Catholic elementary school about 200 metres from her home, on Feb. 28 as soon as the proposed boundaries were released and finalized the paperwork the following week.

Under the proposed boundary changes, MacDonald’s daughter would be attending Regina Street School, which is currently home to an alternative program.

“Our priority is walkability so this was the key to our decision,” said MacDonald.

“I can’t walk a six-kilometre round trip to Regina every day, while somehow also picking up my son on foot from Woodroffe Avenue Public School. So it felt like Our Lady of Fatima was our only option when we saw the new OCDSB boundaries.”

Her daughter would transfer to our Lady of Fatima next fall, offering her time to integrate into the school community and get a jump on the extended day program wait list, said MacDonald.

She said she asked if she needed to de-register at Woodroffe, but said she was told it wouldn’t be necessary.

“I can appreciate that could change,” said MacDonald.

In the past, families had to provide a baptismal certificate to register in a Catholic school. That’s no longer the case.

“Children of all religions are welcome to join the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Our approach to educating your child is inclusive, honouring the dignity of every child and respecting all beliefs, in keeping with our Catholic social teachings,” says the Catholic board.

Provincial funding is tied to student numbers and projected enrolment is based on factors such as immigration, new housing, and a school board’s “market share” compared to other boards.

Ottawa’s four school boards are locked in a perennial battle for market share, and the threat of switching school boards may give boundary change opponents some leverage in the dispute.

In December, the OCDSB reported a total enrolment of 77,522 students compared to 77,313 a year earlier, an increase of 209 students, but less than the 78,518 students board planners had expected would enrol.

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Catholic School Board’s enrolment grew by more than 2,100 students, 386 more students than projected. As a result of the increased enrolment, the Catholic board added 135 teachers to its payroll.

The region’s French-language boards cover a larger geographic area than the English boards. They also reported significant gains for this school year.

The French Catholic board, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE), enrolled 1,375 more students.

The French public board, Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO), increased its enrolment by about 1,000 students.