The Thames Valley District Board has slammed the brakes on a plan to redraw school boundary lines designed to address a surge in enrolment at the elementary level.

Trustees had planned to discuss a consultant's report that recommended moving students around to spread growth evenly between schools, but they were asked by the administration Tuesday night to hold off on any changes because of a mid-afternoon announcement from the province.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced $600 million in capital funding to support 78 school projects across the province. It's not yet known whether any of the money is earmarked for Thames Valley schools.

But Associate Education Director Jeff Pratt advised the board to delay consideration of boundary adjustments until more details are obtained.

"Clearly, any significant capital improvements in the city of London would have significant impacts to the current plan that we are going to present … so we are asking the board to defer the report at this time."

The London Attendance Area Review Report presented to trustees on November 9 recommended a major review of public school boundaries in London to deal with rapidly growing enrolment pressures at schools in the north and west areas of the city.

The Thames Valley Board has applied for funding to expand and renovate Eagle Heights Public School in north London and to build new schools in Lambeth and Byron. The board has also sought funding for renovations to Wilberforce Public School in Lucan and to build a new school in Woodstock.

"We're extremely excited and hopeful that some of the projects currently under consideration by the Ministry will be approved, which may require us to significantly revise the London Attendance Area Review," said Pratt.

The Ministry has not indicated when it will release details of the projects that have been approved.

Trustees agreed to defer the review of school boundaries until their meeting on January 25.