A spokesperson for Upper Grand District School Board says minimizing disruption to students and the splitting up of siblings were considered when a final decision was made Tuesday on a redrawing of the west Guelph boundary for french immersion.
The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) also made a final decision on admission caps to the french immersion programs, in addition to a redrawing of the west Guelph boundary during the meeting.
Heather Loney, communications and community engagement officer at UGDSB, said all public feedback was discussed by the board staff committee before making the final decision.
"All of the verbal and written input received at the public information session, through the review webpage and through emails directly to trustees and board staff were shared with board trustees prior to their final decision," said Loney in an email exchange with GuelphToday.
The board had a number of options to choose from, as a result of the West Guelph French Immersion Boundary Review, which was initiated in May.
"(The option) which was recommended by the committee and approved by trustees, resulted in the fewest number of families with siblings split between programs," said Loney.
Gateway Drive Public School will begin accommodating Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten french immersion classes in September 2018 and grow by a grade each year.
The french immersion program at Gateway Drive Public School will be capped at 29 Junior Kindergarten students.
Beginning September 2023, Willow Road Public School will begin accommodating students in Grades 4 and 5 which will be fed from Gateway Drive Public School and will also grow by a grade each year.
Once the 2018-19 school year begins, existing french immersion students attending Grades 1 and up who reside within the new west Guelph boundary will be grandfathered at Paisly Road and John McCrae public schools until they reach the end of Grade 8.
Paisley Road Public School will accommodate 29 Junior Kindergarten students effective September 2018, while John McCrae Public School will enroll 58.
The board said the cap changes increase the number of Junior Kindergarten french immersion spaces from the current 92 to 116 beginning next September.
Changes to the registration and selection process for french immersion were previously announced in 2016.
Registration for the Junior Kindergarten french immersion programs are not first come, first serve. If the number of registrations received before the Jan. 26, 2017 deadline exceed the school's enrolment cap, a random selection process would have been initiated.
The board notes most schools which offer Junior Kindergarten french immersion are at their capacity for the 2017-18 school year and selection for the 2018-19 school year will begin in January.
The new west Guelph boundary for french immersion includes the area west of the Hanlon Expressway, north of the Speed River and east of the Guelph-Woolwich Townline.
In May, school board staff confirmed that a new french immersion program was to be accommodated at Gateway Drive Public School for Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 and that Willow Road Public School would accommodate Grades 4 to 8 beginning in 2023.
Loney said the recruitment of quality French teachers continues to be a challenge in Ontario, but UGDSB said enhancements they have made to the process is helping attract qualified teachers.
"Over the past few months we have had success in hiring many new French qualified teachers to the Upper Grand District School Board," said Loney.
