The boundaries of two local Catholic elementary schools will be changing.
During the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board meeting earlier this week, a report was presented to the board trustees to alter part of the boundary for Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School and St. Angela Catholic Elementary School.
Immaculate Conception is currently landlocked, meaning they are unable to add any additional portables to the school to accommodate additional students.
Enrolment at Immaculate Conception has increased significantly beyond "normal" levels, and while the school has less than 300 students, there isn't any additional space.
19 families will be affected in the shift, with 32 students switching to St. Angela beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.
Grade 7 students, who will be going into Grade 8 in the next school year, will be given the option to stay for their final year.
Fulvio Valentinis, Chair of the WECDSB, says there wasn't any additional space at Immaculate Conception.
"What the province expects you to do is look at unused space, and how can you better utilize nearby schools that may not be fully occupied? And so that's why we're changing the boundary so that a segment of the boundary, which should've gone to Immaculate, is now going to be going to St. Angela."
He says all of the affected students and families have been personally notified of the changes.
"We've had meetings, and I know the principal's have reached out and have called, and have explained this to each of the families so that they're fully aware of the boundary changes that are coming. And that's why I think we didn't get any strong opposition to it because it was explained to them why we're doing it, and how we're doing it."
Valentinis says those going into Grade 8 have been given the option to stay at Immaculate.
"You've gone through your whole elementary school life at a school, they feel a part of it, they're going to be going into their final year, Grade 8, then we wanted to offer that accommodation to them."
Due to this change, beginning in 2024-25 any new registrants that reside within the proposed Immaculate Conception and St. Angela boundary adjustment area will be attending St. Angela Elementary.
Immaculate Conception is located at 465 Victoria Avenue, while St. Angela is located at 816 Ellis Street East.