These recommendations will be considered by the full council on December 20. Eleven of twelve trustees were present for the December 12 vote.
On December 12, a Committee of the Whole of the Board of Trustees (note: 11 of the 12 Trustees were present) debated the recommendations from the Accommodation Review for Centretown, Glebe and Old Ottawa South and then voted on the various components of the recommendations.
Trustees voted either unanimously or almost unanimously in favour of the following:
- A NEW Middle French Immersion program will start at Mutchmor P.S offering grade 4 in 2012 and adding another grade each year to grade 6.
- An 11 room addition will be built onto the Mutchmor structure to be completed in 2013.
- For September 2013, students currently attending First Avenue P.S. for EFI will move to the Mutchmor site, and the students attending Mutchmor P.S. for English, MFI and Congregated Gifted will move to the First Avenue site.
- JK students for the Glebe will continue to attend Mutchmor Public School in 2012.
- All students from the Glebe will be directed to Glashan Public School for grades 7&8 starting in 2012 for all programs (English, Gifted, EFI and MFI).
- The area known as the Glebe annex will now have the option to attend First Avenue P.S. for EFI (as well as Devonshire); Mutchmor P.S. for MFI (as well as Centennial). The existing boundary will be maintained for the English program, with its split of the area between Cambridge Street P.S. and Mutchmor P.S.
In another important move, Trustees voted strongly in favour of having the Education Committee consider a motion for a review of the OCDSB's English program with a focus on how the program could be strengthened and its advantages better communicated.
These recommendations from the Committee of the Whole will now be considered at a meeting of the Board of Trustees for a final confirmation vote on December 20th. Given that a strong majority of Trustees endorsed the recommendations above, it is likely that there will be minimal debate and a quick confirmation at that time.
We thank parents for their support, involvement and feedback during this demanding process. We are very happy that the solution approved by Trustees had Mutchmor and First Avenue Councils and parents working together to secure a resolution that builds on the strengths of the two primary schools, brings new choice to the Glebe by adding a middle french immersion program, and allows all kids from the Glebe schools to attend a single destination for intermediate (grade 7-8) programming at Glashan P.S.
Mutchmor School Council
For more background on this issue, please see our Local School Issues page.