More students coming, more schools needed: WCDSB annual report

The next decade is set to see enrolment in Waterloo Region schools skyrocket, and with an ever-growing student body, more space is needed, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board said in its annual report.

The local Catholic board is getting ready to open five new schools in the next two years, two of which are set to open next school year.

All to address growing enrolment numbers. This past school year saw student enrolment in the Catholic school board jump 5.6 per cent.

Heading into next school year, the board says enrolment is already up 4.1 per cent.

The new schools coming to a neighbourhood in September 2025 include a new St. Patrick School in East Kitchener and a school in the Rosenberg subdivision of South West Kitchener.

In 2026, three new schools are set to be ready for students in the Catholic board.

This includes Grade 7-12 school in East Kitchener, an elementary school in South East Cambridge, and new elementary school in Baden.

The school in Baden though, is still waiting on construction delays with the school site, not yet available.

Related

Waterloo Catholic District School Board to see large increase in student enrollment by 2032-2033

A new report from the Waterloo Catholic District School Board is projecting the number of students in their classrooms to increase dramatically over the next 10 years. Current projections shows elementary…

Kitchener council approves new Catholic school

Kitchener City Council has approved a new Catholic school in the area of Fairway Road and Woolner Trail. The school will be located at 20 Woolner Trail at the site of a former gravel pit. It is expected…

Minister Lecce supportive of non-Catholic students attending Catholic schools

Ontario’s education minister is out with a statement of support for non-Catholic students to attend Catholic schools in the region. This comes after the Waterloo Catholic District School Board projects…

New elementary school and community centre coming to south Kitchener

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic was joined by representatives from the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) on Tuesday to break ground a new elementary school and community centre in Kitchener’s…

The report reads, “Despite these projects, the need for additional space remains critical, with current sites already oversubscribed and reliant on portable classrooms. Requests for further capital funding have been submitted to the province to ensure that future requirements can be met.”

Budget wise, the board is boasting a balanced budget for 2025.

The full annual report can be read here.