The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) is in the process of overhauling elementary school programming across Ottawa. 

While the goal is to improve equity and access, the changes come with major disruptions to school communities. The initial plan included zoning boundaries that would will force many students to switch schools, breaking up friendships, increasing commute times, and even putting student safety at risk. The OCDSB released a revised proposal on April 3. This included the adoption of a proposed boundary revision, which is a big step forward.   

The OCDSB hopes to implement the plan by September 2026, but is yet to develop adequate transition plans to make sure that this plan succeeds. 

UPDATE: The new boundaries shared on April 3  which adopted the counterproposal of our parent community. This means that while some students will still be moved from Devonshire in 2026, they would now move together to Cambridge Street Public School, rather than being split across multiple schools. But without a clear transition plan, families are still left in limbo.

Devonshire is more than just a school— so much so, "community" is part of our name. It is a tight-knit, vibrant neighborhood hub where students, educators, and families support one another. Our children feel safe, valued, and connected here. Families have worked hard to build relationships, fundraise for initiatives, and create a sense of belonging that extends far beyond the classroom.

Meanwhile, no information has been shared on how this plan will be implemented.  A thoughtful, evidence-based transition plan is needed to manage a change of this size.

• A strong, existing school community will be torn apart despite the board's claims of "community-based education." This includes a preschool and existing aftercare communities.

• Students will be reassigned to different schools, separating them from their closest friends and support networks.  This is particularly cruel for children who are all still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and feeling the anxiety of geopolitical uncertainty.

• Families will have to adjust to entirely new school communities and find new childcare arrangements with no transition plan to ease the disruption.  These are real financial, logistical and emotional impacts to working families. It disproportionately impacts women, single parent families, new Canadians and our most vulnerable community members.

• Devonshire will be at only 66% of its capacity once this plan is implemented, leaving plenty of room for existing students to be transitioned out.

UPDATE: Due to an overwhelming response from parents, the OCDSB released a new proposal. The vote has now been delayed until May 13, 2025.

The twelve OCDSB trustees will ultimately vote on this proposal, but right now, parents have an opportunity to speak up and demand change before it’s too late. 

Consultation meetings are happening throughout March, and the board must hear from families who will be directly impacted by these disruptive change before the Board votes on this proposal in April. This is simply not enough time to genuinely process, analyze, and act on the feedback. The gravity of this decision demands thorough consideration—not a rushed process that risks overlooking critical insights from parents, students, and the broader community.

The board has the power to make changes to this plan and create a thoughtful evidenced-based transition plan. 

We must make our voices heard before final decisions are made.