Elizabeth Ziegler PS closed for the rest of the school year amid structural concerns
Posted Mar 14, 2025 01:44:20 PM.
Last Updated Mar 14, 2025 01:56:23 PM.
A public elementary school that closed after a slab of concrete fell off the building over a week ago will now not reopen to students this school year.
In an update, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) said that students of Elizabeth Ziegler Public School will not be using the building “for the remainder of the school year.”
“This is a result of the mechanical and electrical connections that run throughout the building, as well as the large pieces of precast concrete and monuments that need to be carefully removed during the repair process,” the statement reads.
The board notes that the structural engineering firm has not finished its assessment, raising the possibility that further issues could be uncovered. A final report is expected in the coming weeks, WRDSB said.
The closure has impacted all of the nearly 500 students who attend the school regularly, who have been learning virtually from home.
Families of students are told they can collect a laptop and other accessories for continued online learning on March 17 from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. by the portables outside the building.
Devices are labelled for each students and are sorted by first letter of their last name.
- A to L will be available for pickup in Portable 2
- M to Z will be available for pickup in Portable 3
Board working on in-person learning
Officials are still trying to find ways for students to return to some sort of in-person learning for April 1.
Although it will not be in the school itself, staff are bringing in additional portables and some students will be integrated in the surrounding public schools in the area, although the statement notes that spaces are “limited.”
WRDSB said there is a maximum of 12 portables allowed on the property.
“The current phase of remote learning is a necessary short-term step in the pathway to returning to in-person learning,” the board said.
The school will be giving parents an update on Monday as to the areas that will be used for in-person learning. A community meeting is planned on March 19 at 6:30 p.m.
