Ottawa parents are upset after hundreds of Grades 7 to 9 students had to be forced into virtual schooling from home, due to last-minute delays in constructing a new school.
Parents learned from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board on Friday that students won’t start at the new Maplewood Secondary School in Stittsville until Sept. 17 at the earliest.
Concerns over the new construction being up to code forced the OCDSB to put off the opening.
“City of Ottawa officials have been on-site all week as the contractor completes the required work for occupancy,” an OCDSB statement sent to parents reads.
“We anticipate an occupancy inspection will be conducted next week and we will send you a confirmation email by noon on Wednesday, Sept. 11.”
News of the delays has many parents up in arms. In a delegation submission currently before the OCDSB, parent Jenny Guth blasted administrators for giving parents no input.
“Parents and students have had no choice but to accept this last minute decision, without
having been able to give any input or feedback, and without having had any meaningful response as to how long this contingency plan will be in place. This is NOT acceptable,” wrote Guth.
“Regardless of who might be at fault for this delayed opening, despite the school having been under construction since 2021, the Board must step in, take control, pull out all the stops, and get this school completed with an opening date that is as soon as possible. We demand that the Board sets and enforces a definite opening date.”
Contingency plans have been introduced for the 807 students from Grades 7-9 who will be forced into virtual learning.
“To facilitate this transition, all students (grades 7-9) will be learning from home (asynchronous) under the teacher’s guidance on Friday, Sept. 13 and Monday, Sept. 16,” wrote the OCDSB.
Students between Grade 7 and 8 will also spend some of the beginning of the new school year at a different school while Grade 9 students will solely be learning online.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigated the construction delays. We acknowledge the inconvenience and stress this may have caused and are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for your child,” said the OCDSB.
The new school is planning on becoming a Grades 7-12 school by the year 2027, with plans to introduce new grades every year.
