The supervisor appointed to make decisions at Ottawa’s largest school board says no child will have to change schools next September — but some elementary school boundaries could change eventually.
Bob Plamondon, who was selected by the provincial government, announced last week that he has decided to
cancel sweeping and controversial boundary changes
approved by Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) trustees last spring.
It was clear that the elementary program review (EPR), as proposed, would have been “chaotic,” said Plamondon in a written Q&A for parents clarifying his reasons for cancelling the changes and offering hints of what will happen next.
“After reviewing the plan with both OCDSB staff and the Ministry of Education, it was clear that EPR, as proposed, would have been chaotic,” he said.
“The number of exemptions needed to keep siblings together or accommodate childcare needs would have required millions in transitional funding. Additional costs to equip and reconfigure schools would have required millions more. The 2025–26 OCDSB budget included no funding for EPR implementation, and the board’s reserves were depleted due to recurring deficits. The OCDSB was unprepared to implement EPR.”
No student will be required to change schools, said Plamondon.
“Children may remain where they are currently enrolled or return to their designated school for French Immersion, English with Core French or remain at Alternative Schools under existing boundaries — whichever the family prefers,” he said.
But Plamondon also acknowledged that some boundaries could change. He confirmed that the OCDSB’s five
alternative elementary schools will be phased out
. The final alternative school cohort was enrolled in September and the OCDSB will not enrol new students in future years. There may be consolidation of the alternative programs to fewer sites, over time and if required, for operational purposes, he said.
Plamondon did not rule out that some boundary changes may happen as the alternative schools are phased out and the new French Immersion and English with Core French streams are introduced starting next September and as community populations shift.
But that will not happen in the 2026–27 school year, he said.
Middle French immersion will also be gradually phased out starting next September. “There may be consolidation of the middle French immersion programs to fewer sites, over time, if required for operational purposes, said Plamondon.
He also addressed the thorny problem of younger siblings being separated from older siblings. This was an issue of
concern for many parents who faced sending children to different schools
. The EPR required parents to seek an exemption to keep siblings in the same school. Trustees had approved developing a
“grandparenting” plan
that would allow exemptions for eligible families — as long as there are spaces available.
Parents “will not be required to endure a bureaucratic process with an uncertain outcome,” said Plamondon “The OCDSB will have the same priority as new children come into the system – to keep siblings together in the same school based on the program of choice being offered at that school.”
Meanwhile, the statement reassured parents with children in special education programs. Cancelling the boundary changes will not affect special education programming, Plamondon said.
The OCDSB is one of five school board under supervision. Plamondon, an auditor and expert in governance, was named as the supervisor on June 27 to oversee the school board’s finances. The message sent Thursday is only the third statement he has released to parents and he has refused to speak to the news media.
The EPR was aimed at returning as many students as possible to neighbourhood schools to ensure all elementary schools remained viable. But it quickly stirred up controversy over
school boundary changes
.
Consultations conducted over much of the prior school year were the most extensive in the OCDSB’s history, said Plamondon. Thousands of letters, briefs, and deputations were received from parents and community members.
“Many parents were frustrated that their representations were not sufficiently considered and that EPR was moving forward too quickly. While most parents acknowledged the positive intent of EPR, very few parents were confident that such sweeping changes imposed in a single year would be beneficial to students or successfully implemented,” he said.
The decision to cancel the EPR as proposed was based on extensive analysis of the board’s readiness to implement one of the most comprehensive changes in the history of the school board, said Plamondon, who added that a very large majority of hundreds of email respondents expressed “relief” that the changes were canceled.
“It was informed by community feedback as well as by consulting experts at the OCDSB and the Ministry of Education,” he wrote. “The decision was recommended by the supervisor and approved by the Minister of Education, who has control and charge over the administration of the board.”
Meanwhile, Education Minister Paul Calandra has referenced spending less in central administration and putting more resources in classrooms, said Plamondon.
“Strengthening every school is about dedicating resources, such as teacher assistants, in places where students are achieving educational outcomes that are below provincial standards. Every student deserves an opportunity to achieve their full potential,” he said.
Board staff are now focused on the detailed planning required to implement the two new program streams — French Immersion and English with Core French — as quickly and effectively as possible, said Plamondon.
“The goal is to support all students with a streamlined system that offers near-universal program access.”
