The St. Clair Catholic District School Board is set to meet with a Ministry of Education capital analyst to discuss a potential consolidation of some Chatham elementary schools.
The board has laid out its accommodation review process for the year, with a public session on the future of the Catholic elementary schools in September. This year's Capitol Plan shows only one of Chatham's seven elementary schools (Georges P. Vanier) will see a growth in student enrollment over the next ten years. Two of its schools, St Agnes and St. Joseph's, are at around 50% capacity.
"Any and all possibilities need to be considered," says Director of Education Dan Parr. "We have seven schools. They all have varying challenges with enrollment, and varying challenges with the condition they're in."
While Parr won't get into specifics about which schools will be affected, he knows they need to take action now.
"Enrollment trends indicate we have too many schools in Chatham. We don't know exactly what we'll do, but we know we are going to do something in Chatham," says Parr.
The SCCDSB will meet with the capital analyst on May 11. They'll also discuss the status of Ursuline College Chatham's long-term viability, as well as options for right-sizing at the more than 40-year-old facility.