12 new public schools needed to meet growing demand in Waterloo region
New schools require provincial funding and 'that's where the challenge lies,' says school board
Planners with the region's public school board say at least 12 new schools will be needed in the next decade to keep up with the area's growing population, but admit it's unlikely 12 new schools will actually be built in that time frame.
"We require funding to do that, and that's where the challenge lies," said Lauren Agar, manager of planning with the Waterloo Region District School Board.
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She and her colleagues recently completed a 10-year long-term accommodation plan, which outlines where the board expects to see student populations increase and decrease.
While a few areas — such as New Dundee and the three city centres — will see a small decrease, Agar said the overall trend is up.
1.2 per cent growth rate
"We are a growth board," she said. "Overall, we're looking at an annual growth rate of 1.2 per cent in our enrollment."
Southwest Kitchener is one of the "hot spots," according to the new report. Due to a number of new housing developments, Agar said the number of students in the region has increased dramatically.
The board is already opening a new school — Janet Metcalfe Public School — in the neighbourhood in September, and Agar said there is another elementary school planned for the area in 2020.
But adding a school is not as easy as it sounds. Besides deciding on the best location, the board has to lobby the provincial government for funding.
Exploring other options
Agar said the board has one chance every year to present the Ministry of Education with a business case for why it should fund a school in Waterloo region, rather than a school in another board.
And even if the Ministry chooses to fund a school here, Agar said it can take years before the building is ready for students: two years for an elementary school and three to four years for a secondary school.
Because new schools take so much time and money, she said the board is looking at other ways to prepare for upcoming growth in student population.
"That's where we look at the boundaries — the attendance boundaries — that we have set for our schools," she said. "What we might have to do is put kids on a bus and take them out of their neighbourhood to a school that has space."
While she admits that it's not an ideal solution, it is one way to deal with overcrowding. Other options include using portables or building additions on existing schools.