Public board seeks parent input to address school overcrowding

Online platform open for comment now; decision to be made in December

The public school board continues to seek public input as it works through its alphabet of concepts to address overcrowding in schools.

“These things are necessary to have in order to align all of our schools,” said Diane Lloyd, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board's program review chair, during Tuesday’s board meeting.

The school board has been actively reviewing programming and accommodation at all of its schools, particularly those in Peterborough, in order to address growth that has led to overcrowding in some schools and extra space in others.

The school board has developed concepts, labelled A, B, C and D, guided by balancing student numbers, providing high quality learning for all students, developing long-term and sustainable plans, maintaining walkable routes to school and streamlining transportation services.

Roughly 500 people attended the board’s information meeting at Kenner Collegiate Vocational Institute on April 17 to discuss boundary change options and nearly 1,700 comments have been posted to the board’s Thought Exchange online platform as of publication.

Comments are being accepted online until May 31.

“We need to remember that this is not a done deal,” said trustee Angela Lloyd, who requested another public meeting be held well in advance of an anticipated fall staff report.

“We need the input. We need the feedback.”

Education director Rita Russo recognized the clarity everyone needs for each concept presented, noting considerable work will be taking place in May and June to fully examine the impact of each option.

A second community engagement meeting will be held in the fall to gather additional feedback.

Trustees are expected to make a decision on the long-term accommodation plan by the end of December. It is anticipated the concepts will be implemented using a phased approach, with initial changes becoming effective in September 2025.