GUELPH – Discussions about school boundaries were heated at times during a Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) meeting on May 5.
A few parents attended the meeting, sometimes shaking their heads or bringing their hands to their faces in a facepalm gesture.
The meeting included summaries of public feedback on possible boundary changes, and a long-term accommodation plan report presented by associate director Tracy McLennan and Watson and Associates manager Josh Valenti.
Watson and Associates is a demographic consultant that produces and updates annual WCDSB enrolment projections.
According to the report, federal immigration policy changes and new provincial rules aimed at boosting home construction have led to assumptions for enrolment growth within the WCDSB, particularly for schools in west Guelph.
“Due to recent changes in immigration policies, the WCDSB has observed significant effects on enrolments across the board,” the report states.
“Between 2022 and 2024, the average number of first-time enrolments for newcomers was 269. However, as of April 2024, the enrolment of newcomers in 2025 is currently less than 50 students. This has notably impacted all three secondary schools as well as Guelph elementary schools St. Joseph CS, St. Francis of Assisi CS, St. Michael CS and St. Peter CS.”
Overall, the board projects enrolment to increase by 14 per cent within five years and by 27% within 10 years.
That’s more than 1,700 extra students in WCDSB elementary schools by 2034.
“This upward trend, established over the last five years, is expected to continue as a direct result of the increasing housing development and migration (both interprovincial and national) across the jurisdiction,” the report states.
The population in Guelph and Wellington County is projected to grow more than the provincial average, Valenti noted.
He said the enrolment projections are informed in part by information from municipalities’ projections and building permits.
Local enrolment, capacity
Sacred Heart in Rockwood has a ministry rated capacity of 268, but has 333 students currently enrolled. This enrolment is projected to reach 400 in 2031.
St. John in Arthur’s capacity is 245, with 242 students currently enrolled. By 2031 enrolment is projected to approach 300.
St. Mary in Mount Forest has a capacity of 268, with 218 students currently enrolled, and enrolment set to surpass 320 within about 10 years.
St. Joseph in Fergus has a capacity of 530 and 566 students currently enrolled. Enrolment is projected to reach 876 in about 10 years.
St. Mary in Elora has a capacity of 337 and 400 students currently enrolled, with enrolment projected to remain relatively steady over the next decade.
St. John Brébeuf in Erin has a capacity of 314 and current enrolment of 266. Enrolment is projected to climb steadily, surpassing 500 within about 10 years.
All WCDSB secondary schools are in Guelph.
Bishop Macdonell Catholic Secondary School (CSS) has a capacity of 930 and current enrolment of 724, which is set to remain relatively steady over the next decade.
Our Lady of Lourdes CSS has a capacity of 945 and current enrolment of 611. Enrolment is projected to surpass 1,000 within about 10 years.
St. James CSS has a capacity of 987 and current enrolment of 1,073. Enrolment is expected to reach 1,350 within about 10 years.
Realigning boundaries
Currently, students from Rockwood, Erin, Arthur, Fergus and Mount Forest elementary schools go on to St. James, while students from St. Mary in Elora go to Our Lady of Lourdes.
The board has hopes of opening a new secondary school in Wellington County for students from Mount Forest, Arthur, Fergus and Elora elementary schools.
It is considering redirecting students from Sacred Heart in Rockwood to Bishop Macdonell instead of St. James.
Surveys have been distributed to gather community input on addressing enrolment pressures.
Common themes from the community feedback include proximity to school, keeping families together, continuity of programs, equitable access and minimizing disruption.
Rockwood families were surveyed about the boundary shift from St. James CSS to Bishop Macdonell CSS, with 51 people participating.
“Families noted that travel times from Rockwood to Bishop Macdonell would be longer compared to St. James,” according to the summary noting “the importance of minimizing travel times to support student well-being and daily routines.
“There was a strong interest in ensuring consistent, reliable bus transportation to Bishop Macdonell, including late bus options to support student involvement in extracurricular activities.”
Families also suggested students with siblings already attending St. James CSS be allowed to attend St. James CSS “to support family continuity and ease of transition.”
Those in support of the realignment to Bishop Macdonell CSS noted opportunities including the International Baccalaureate program offered there and the “benefits of proactive planning for future growth.”
The most contentious of the board’s considerations is the possibility having students at St. Peter and St. Joseph elementary schools in Guelph attend Our Lady of Lourdes CSS for Grades 7 and 8.
Of 90 survey responses, 44 people supported moving Grade 7 and 8s to the high school early, while 46 did not.
Concerns include students’ mental health and well-being throughout the transition, maintaining leadership opportunities and a sense of belonging for Grade 7 and 8 students, and ensuring separation from older students.
McLennan said the board was initially planning to start transitioning to a new boundary structure in September 2025, but they have “heard from the parent community that that would be too quick” and have set a new target implementation date of September 2026.
Rockwood forgotten?
Trustee Cassandra O’Donnell said “Rockwood seems to be the forgotten school” in the boundary review, noting the students would be very impacted by the different options.
She recommends students from elementary schools in Erin and Rockwood go to the same secondary school as there is a strong connection between the two communities.
O’Donnell also suggested more could have been done to promote the survey to encourage more people to participate, noting she only knows of one email with no reminders.
Trustees Vikki Dupuis and Joe Tersigni thanked the board staff for all the effort they put into the enrolment and boundary reviews.
When Tersigni said “I applaud you for making every effort to get what’s best for parents and students” a parent brought her palm to her face while shaking her head.
After the meeting, the parents approached the trustees to discuss the boundary changes and the exchange became quite heated.
Parents criticized the trustees, other than O’Donnell, for apparently ignoring their emails and for lauding the staff for their hard work instead of asking critical questions and advocating for their constituents.
