The local public school board is looking at reviewing some of London's school boundaries as part of a recommendation to help alleviate the growing number of enrolments at certain schools across the city.
On Tuesday, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) announced the release of a report in response to a request made by the Board of Trustees about finding ways to reduce registration pressures at schools that have reached or surpassed capacity limits.
"A decade ago, we were faced with significant declining enrolment in the city, but that has dramatically shifted during the last three or four years," TVDSB Associate Director Jeff Pratt said in a release. "While rapid residential development and migration patterns are pushing some schools beyond their intended capacity, schools in other parts of the city are underutilized – primarily in east London," Pratt said.
Back in October, the school board began to look at potential options to accommodate the demand for increased enrolment in northwest London. The recommendation to review boundaries comes as newer schools built within the community have experienced capacity limits being doubled, with the number of new registrations anticipated to grow over the next several years.
"Residential growth in London is occurring faster than we are able to build new schools and additions," Pratt said. He added the unprecedented development in the area and migration from the Toronto area are some of the reasons why registrations have gone up so quickly.
The report said shifting settlement patterns of families have also compounded enrolment imbalances across London. For example, schools in other parts of the city, such as Knollwood Park Public School, built to accommodate 447 students, currently have 239. Meanwhile, Sir Arthur Currie Public School, which opened in 2017 with an intended capacity of 532 students, has reached close to 1,000 pupils.
Families with children at schools included in the report should already have received information about the possible redrawing of school boundaries by email. Trustees will vote on whether to proceed with the recommendations during the board's November 23 meeting.
More information about the accommodation options can be found on the school board's website.