The two Catholic school boards in Ottawa rank among the fastest expanding boards in Ontario, and both have recorded a greater number of students in their classrooms this September than originally anticipated.
The Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est informed CBC News that it has welcomed an additional 1,800 students this autumn compared to last year, marking a 6.3 percent increase. The board now serves more than 30,000 students spread across 60 schools.
This represents an unusually significant increase for a single year within an Ontario board.
In contrast, the Ottawa Catholic School Board reported a 4.8 percent rise in enrolment on the first day of school, translating to an increase of 2,436 students, which exceeded their own forecasts.
This trend is not merely a temporary occurrence. Since the 2018-19 academic year, the English Catholic board has added 10,000 students and now reports a total enrolment of over 53,000.
The public French-language board in the Ottawa region, the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario, has experienced similar growth. It anticipated a modest increase of 288 students or 1.6 percent this fall and claims to have slightly surpassed those projections.
Ontario’s 72 school boards do not submit formal enrolment statistics to the Ministry of Education until late October, which means the figures could still be adjusted. However, they indicate an ongoing pattern in Ottawa: particularly rapid growth in Catholic boards, while the student population of the English public Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has remained steady at around 76,000 in recent years, resulting in a relative decline.
In Ontario, where most education funding is allocated based on student numbers, this has led to stagnation in revenue for the English public board compared to others.
This year, the ministry projects that Ottawa’s English-language boards will receive approximately $14,000 per student in core funding, while the two French-language boards in the city are expected to receive around $18,000.
Additionally, a CBC News examination of enrolment data reveals that Ottawa is not an isolated case; a similar trend is observable in several other cities.
A tale of 2 boards
At the Ottawa Catholic School Board, the influx of over 2,000 students necessitates the equivalent of four elementary school facilities.
“This creates challenges regarding space — constructing new buildings and adding portable classrooms, while we advocate for further capital projects — but it’s a fortunate situation to be in,” commented Lisa Schimmens, associate director of business affairs.
The Catholic board plans to construct three new schools — one in south Orléans and two in south Kanata — though such projects can take several years to complete. To address this year’s surge in student numbers, it is introducing 50 portable classrooms.
Schimmens expressed that without this growth, the Catholic board would need to urgently seek savings.
“Our ongoing growth each year enables us to manage any inflation that may not be covered by the [core education] grants, so we find ourselves in a favorable position,” she added.
Instead, the Ottawa Catholic School Board anticipates creating 352 full-time positions this year, primarily consisting of classroom teachers and educational assistants.
This situation contrasts sharply with that of its English public counterpart, which has made cuts to its personnel this year.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board was taken over by the Ministry of Education in June, despite having balanced its $1.24 billion budget, due to its accumulating deficit.
Fast-growing boards in London, Ottawa, Waterloo
Each school board has its own unique demands, demographics, and priorities, but Ottawa is not the only locality where the large English public board is trailing behind its Catholic counterparts in terms of enrolment numbers.
CBC News conducted an analysis of enrolment figures for all 72 school boards, dating back to the 2018-2019 academic year. Boards submit this data to the Ministry of Education as part of their financial projections.
In Ontario, the majority of the fastest-growing boards belong to the Catholic system, with the London District Catholic School Board consistently leading the list. Enrolment there has surged by 32 percent since the 2018-19 academic year. The board has initiated a hiring surge and has even limited enrolment at several schools to manage the rapid increase.
Conversely, its public counterpart, the Thames Valley District School Board, experienced a more modest growth of six percent during that same period and was projecting stable enrolment this September. It is also among five boards taken over by the Ministry of Education.
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Catholic boards are also experiencing faster growth than their public counterparts in the Waterloo region, as well as in Windsor and Essex County.
Despite receiving higher revenues per student, challenges persist; London’s Catholic board is reporting a deficit this year.
Meanwhile, other Catholic boards face significant deficits or are experiencing declining enrolment. For example, Dufferin-Peel Catholic is under supervision and has seen a drop of over 11 percent in enrolment since the pandemic.
CBC News inquired whether Education Minister Paul Calandra expressed concern regarding boards facing stagnant or declining enrolment. His office highlighted the record $30.3 billion allocated for education this school year and stated, “we expect all school boards across the province to invest every dollar of these funds directly into students, parents, and teachers.”
Regarding the frequently discussed topic of maintaining four boards, press secretary Emma Testani noted: “The government is not contemplating the elimination of the Catholic school board system.”
Many factors at play
The president of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association mentioned that parents weigh numerous factors when selecting schools for their children. (Both of Ottawa’s Catholic boards welcome students of all faiths.)
There are also specific elements unique to each board that influence these decisions, Michelle Bellmore stated in an emailed response.
“We also recognize that Catholic school boards’ enduring dedication to high standards in academic and extracurricular activities, along with a focus on ‘placing Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church at the center’ of students’ educational experiences, significantly influence parents’ choices,” Bellmore wrote.
The Catholic and French-language boards in Ottawa cite various reasons for the influx of families enrolling their children.
The Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est stated in an email that its growing enrolment reflects families’ appreciation for quality teaching, innovative pedagogical practices, and the board’s commitment to well-being, equity, and inclusion.
The Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario highlights its status as the largest French-language public school board outside Quebec, emphasizing the quality of the French-language education it provides.
Most students graduate bilingual, according to the board’s communication team, and many are drawn to specialized programs available in sports, arts, and sciences.
Last spring, amidst significant discussion regarding school boundaries within the Ottawa-Carleton board, some parents indicated a willingness to transfer their children out of the English public board.
Test scores and identity issues
Sachin Maharaj, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa, agrees that shifting enrolment patterns reflect a wider trend where families desire more choices in their children’s education, whether that be for French immersion, specialized programs, or across different boards.
He suggests several other factors contributing to why Catholic schools may be outpacing public schools in Ottawa and beyond.
“It also aligns with broader trends we see where school systems are criticized for their handling of certain equity matters, especially concerning gender and sexual identity,” he noted.
Sachin Maharaj, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa, states that the struggles of numerous school boards to balance their budgets indicate a systemic issue.
Maharaj referenced how Premier Doug Ford has labeled boards as “indoctrinating” students, suggesting that such sentiments resonate with certain families.
“Education in the Catholic system is perceived as more traditional concerning these issues, which I believe is influencing some of the enrolment patterns,” Maharaj suggested.
Furthermore, Catholic schools have a reputation for superior academic performance, which parents associate with standardized test results, according to Maharaj.
“When examining what drives those test scores, student demographics, such as the wealth and education level of their parents, are the most significant factors, a consistent finding globally,” he remarked.
