By Brian Dryden
Parents at Churchill Alternative School say months of advocacy and community lobbying helped preserve the future of the west-end school, even as the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board moves ahead with plans to phase out alternative programming across the city.
Families had feared the school could face major cuts or even closure as part of the OCDSB’s west-central boundary review, which examined enrolment pressures and long-term planning needs across six neighbourhood schools.
“It was very stressful when we first heard about the review, but now I can say it is a good news story,” said parent Lisa Stern-Casey, who has two children at Churchill Alternative School.
“You don’t often hear that after a school review process.”
The OCDSB released its final recommendations this month, outlining changes that are scheduled to take effect beginning in September 2027. The plan is intended to balance enrolment among six west-central schools while improving access to Early French Immersion and creating more stable feeder patterns.
Under the recommendations, Churchill Alternative School will remain open and continue offering Kindergarten programming, something parents viewed as essential to the school’s long-term survival. Early French Immersion would also be introduced at the school.
“We will keep our school. We’ll still have Kindergarten, which is the lifeblood of any school,” Stern-Casey said. “There were a lot of intense discussions with the board, but we’re generally happy with how things have turned out.”
The review affects Broadview Public School, Churchill Alternative School, Elmdale Public School, Fisher Park/Summit Alternative School, Hilson Avenue Public School and Woodroffe Avenue Public School.
Some schools in the area are operating above capacity while others are under-enrolled. The board says the revised boundaries and programming changes are intended to better balance student populations and strengthen long-term sustainability.
“We are very happy with the west-end boundary review because it will help all the schools in the area going forward,” said Stern-Casey. “There has been a lot of grassroots involvement with the school board, and it has paid off.”
Under the final recommendations, no students currently attending the affected schools will be required to move. Boundary changes will be phased in gradually, beginning with new students entering the system, in an effort to minimize disruption for families.
The board says the changes are designed to provide smoother transitions between elementary schools and ensure all schools remain viable as enrolment patterns evolve.
Still, uncertainty remains for some parents because the board has confirmed that alternative programming will eventually be phased out. The final cohort of students was admitted to alternative schools in 2025, with the program being gradually wound down over the coming years.
Alternative schools within the OCDSB have traditionally emphasized approaches such as collaborative learning, flexible classroom structures and increased parent involvement.
Stern-Casey said many parents remain hopeful that at least some aspects of alternative education can survive within the regular school system.
“We’re hopeful continued parent advocacy can help keep some of those values and teaching approaches alive,” she said.