Parents upset over Catholic board decision to move French immersion students

Parents in Waterloo are at odds with the Catholic school board over a decision that will look to shift French Immersion students from one school to another because of overcrowding.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) discussed plans to move French Immersion students from Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary School on Thorndale Drive to St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary School in the north end of Waterloo at the beginning of the 2026/27 school year.

According to the board, the move is “to respond to sustained enrolment growth and infrastructure constraints at Holy Rosary.”

Lisa Russell, a concerned parent of a French Immersion student, said she only found out about the decision because of her own diligence, claiming that the board had yet to deliver any information to parents.

However, according to the WCDSB, families at Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary School and St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary School were informed of the board’s plans to relocate the French Immersion program on Tuesday, the morning after the board meeting where plans were first discussed.

“Due to sustained enrolment growth and site limitations at Holy Rosary CES, the WCDSB is reviewing the relocation of the FI program to St. Nicholas CES beginning in the 2026/27 school year,” read the message sent to families.

The message also included information about the public engagement process, including opportunities to share their opinions through an online survey, email feedback, and an open house happening on Oct. 7.

Dozens of parents have banded together in opposition to this decision from the board, many of whom attended the board meeting on Monday in person, and who continue to put pressure on decision makers.

Their concerns include transportation and accessibility, equity and community impacts, a lack of involvement in the decision-making process, and the potential impacts on families and communities.

“To have a school 500 metres down the road from my house that I don’t have any connection to is detrimental to our functioning of neighbourhoods,” said Russell. “To go to parks, and our kids don’t see people that they go to school with. This all affects well-being within Waterloo.”

Russell noted that many families may choose not to relocate their children because of a lack of transportation options; rather, their children will remain at Holy Rosary but removed from the French Immersion program, which wouldn’t solve the issues of overcrowding.

“They are not completely relocating this program as it stands right now; they are basically dismantling it, an established community,” said Russell.

The Catholic board is inviting families, staff, and stakeholders to share their feedback about this decision in an online survey, through email input, or at a public open house on Oct. 7.

“Our goal is to ensure a smooth transition that supports student learning and reflects the needs of our school communities,” said the WCDSB in a statement to 570 NewsRadio.

The input already heard from community members and the feedback shared at the upcoming open house will be considered before finalizing the implementation details of this plan, which are set to be shared at a Board of Trustees meeting on Oct. 27.