Waterloo Region school boards continue to face OneList system issues

Parents across Waterloo Region are continuing to be impacted by a problem that is preventing them from scheduling and registering their children for before and after school care programs.

The issues are affecting the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), as well as the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB), with the first day of classes just around the corner.

The problems are said to be caused by ongoing errors with a system called OneList, which is a tool used by families to register their children in their school’s care programs, which has consistently done so for both school boards in past years. With the problems, many families were falsely told that their children had been properly enrolled in the programs, when they were already at capacity.

“We have been in constant communication with OneList, meeting several times a week to get updates on their progress in resolving these issues,” said the WCDSB in a statement. “Unfortunately, despite their efforts, the system continues to experience operational errors.”

“We are working closely with OneList to ensure that the errors experienced this summer are not repeated,” read a notice from the WRDSB.

This comes as both school boards were already facing increased demand for their before and after school care programs, with the WRDSB saying already seen increases of 27 per cent in the number of children for its before and after school programs for 2024-2025 when compared to previous years. It adds that it has had to add student caps to the programs to maintain proper child-educator ratios.

“We remain committed to providing the excellent child care service that families have come to expect,” said the WRDSB in a statement. “We are working closely with OneList to ensure that the errors experienced this summer are not repeated.”

Both school boards say this issues are out of their hands, with there being a separation between the school boards themselves and OneList.

“While WCDSB manages the day-to-day operations of the program, the responsibility for intake, scheduling, and waitlists rests with OneList,” said the WCDSB. “Ensuring the accuracy of the data has always been crucial, and we regret that these issues have impacted the communication with parents this year.”

The full statements from both the WRDSB and the WCDSB can be found on their websites. Parents are asked to contact their local school boards with any questions or concerns as the ongoing problems continue.