Martha van Berkel lives just down the street from John McCrae Public School and when her children Ruth, 3, and Garek, 1, are ready for school she would like them to attend that French immersion school on Water Street.
But van Berkel is one of many parents in the Old University Neighbourhood just south of downtown Guelph that fear their students not only won't get one of the limited French immersion spots at the K-6 school, but that they will end up being bussed to another school in town despite the fact they live a short walk from John McCrae.
"It makes no sense to bus students to another school when they can walk to this one," said van Berkel.
"There's no perfect solution, but there's a better one," van Berkel said.
It's a scenario being repeated across the city, as the Upper Grand District School Board grapples with the issue of how to fairly allocate a limited number of French immersion spots starting in 2017.
Parents in the area say it will have a negative impact on the community. Some may feel pressure to move or send their children to private school. Then there is the social upheaval and benefits of walking to school.
"It could be a huge problem for our family. It will be really disruptive for families and most of all it just doesn't make sense," van Berkel said.
Recommendations have been made after a lengthy public and internal consultation process. A staff report and recommendations on the registration process is due at the end of October.
A lottery is possible and likely.
While new siblings of current French immersion students could get guaranteed spots in the same school, a child with no sibling in the school likely won't get any preferential treatment just because they live close to the school.
"We've been told that wouldn't be fair," said van Berkel.
School board spokesperson Heather Loney said the board's trustees are well aware of the parents' concerns and they are being taken into consideration in developing a registration policy.
"Board staff is currently in the process of developing a selection process for registration. It is too early in the process to state what the details of that process will look like," Loney said.
"As you can imagine, a large number of things must be taken into consideration to ensure a fair and transparent method for entry into the program."
Van Berkel is asked what she would say to those that might argue just because you live near a French immersion school shouldn't garner you preferential treatment for enrolment.
"So then look at the health of the kids and we should encourage kids to walk to school ... because of the benefits to health, benefits to less disruptions in class, the benefits to the environment and the benefits to the community," van Berkel said.
"I don't see it as being inequitable. I have to assume that all the schools in the Upper Grand district are equally awesome. There's no difference between John McCrae and any other school, it just happens to be my walkable school."
Amy Newman, who has a child about to enter junior kindergarten, said it makes no sense to bus students across town.
"It would mean children could have their best friend next door or down the street but they wouldn't go to school together," Newman said.
Newman, a University of Guelph professor, said John McCrae school is one of the reasons her family moved into the neighbourhood in the first place.
The parents near John McCrae feel they still have a chance to sway the school board, before which they have appeared several times.
"The best part is that it's never too late to be heard," van Berkel said. "They can change the process at any time."
