Update: January 9, 2025
Thank You for Your Feedback!
The online consultation period for the Northglen Catholic Elementary School Boundary Review is now closed. We want to sincerely thank everyone who participated by providing feedback, completing surveys, and engaging with our interactive tools.
Over the course of the consultation:
- Nearly 2,600 visitors viewed the engagement site
- 117 survey responses were submitted
- More than 20 unique questions were submitted and answered through our Q&A tool
We deeply value your input, which has helped shape the decisions regarding the new school boundaries.
After reviewing the feedback thoroughly, we would like to share the following updates:
Daycare:
We understand the importance of daycare availability for transitioning families. While daycare is managed by a third-party provider, we have begun conversations to establish a priority registration period for families that are moving to the new school.
Existing Out-of-Boundary Approvals:
Our review of the feedback and boundary data revealed a small number of students within the impacted Clarington schools with existing out-of-boundary approvals. These approvals will remain in place unless parents advise the Board otherwise.
Existing Relationships and Legacy Considerations:
We heard clearly that maintaining social connections and the fabric of school communities is a priority for families, especially for students entering Grade 8 in September 2026. As a result, we have made the decision to allow current Grade 6 students at St. Elizabeth CES, Holy Family CES, and St. Francis of Assisi CES to remain at their original schools for their Grade 8 year, enabling them to graduate with their current classmates in 2027.
Specialized Programs:
We recognized through your feedback the importance parents place on access to Specialized Programs at our schools. For this reason attendees at Specialized Programs will remain at the school in which their program is provided as long as they are deemed eligible.
Boundary Map:
While we recognize that the new school boundaries will bring changes for some families, feedback showed strong support for the proposed map. Staff remain confident that the new boundaries represent the best balance of utilizing the new school’s capacity and alleviating space pressures at other area schools.
Thank you again for your thoughtful contributions to this process. These updates reflect our commitment to balancing the needs of our growing school communities while creating a strong foundation for the future of Catholic education in Clarington.
Project Overview
Architectural rendering of new Northglen Catholic elementary school.
We’re excited to plan for a new Catholic elementary school in Clarington, which is set to open in September 2026.
This state-of-the-art facility at Northglen Blvd. and Middle Rd., will accommodate up to 493 students and include a three-room childcare centre to serve infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in our growing community.
To prepare for the opening of the yet-to-be-named school, the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board is conducting a catchment area review. This process will help determine the school’s boundaries and ensure a balanced, sustainable distribution of students across our schools in Clarington.
Our planning partners have carefully analyzed enrollment data, boundary maps, and projected growth in the region to develop a proposal that addresses current and future needs. While this proposal represents the Board’s preferred option, we value the insights and perspectives of our community and invite you to provide feedback.
The proposal directly impacts the following school communities - St. Elizabeth CES, Holy Family CES and St. Francis of Asissi CES. Under the proposal, the catchment areas of these three schools will be redrawn to move some students to the new Northglen school.
We understand that decisions about school boundaries can bring mixed emotions. While some families may look forward to becoming part of a new school community, others may feel stress or uncertainty about changes to their current catchment areas. That’s why we’re committed to a transparent and inclusive consultation process.
This engagement project is your opportunity to learn about the proposed changes, provide feedback, and explore interactive tools like our catchment area mapping tool. Your input will be integral to shaping a fair and effective boundary recommendation.
Together, we’ll plan for the growth of our community while ensuring the best possible learning environment for all students. Thank you for taking the time to engage with us on this important project.
Why a Catchment Area Review?
The Clarington region is experiencing rapid population growth, with projections indicating an increase from 107,000 residents today to over 221,000 by 2051. This growth has already placed significant pressures on our existing schools, as reflected in current enrollment data.
To address these challenges and prepare for continued expansion, PVNC Catholic must establish a catchment area for the new school that not only provides a community for its students but also plays a pivotal role in alleviating enrollment pressures throughout the Clarington jurisdiction.
Understanding OTG Capacity and Enrollment Pressures
On the Ground (OTG) capacity is a critical measure in determining a school’s ability to accommodate students. It represents the number of students a school is designed to hold based on Ministry of Education guidelines. Schools operating beyond their OTG capacity often require portable classrooms. The Ministry of Education measures “utilization,” which is the number of students compared to the OTG of the school, not including any portable classrooms which may be on-site.
The table below highlights the current enrollment pressures faced by our Bowmanville elementary schools and St. Francis CES in Newcastle.
School | Pupil Count | OTG | # of Portables | Total Capacity | Utilization |
Holy Family CES | 757 | 752 | 2 | 798 | 100.7% |
St. Elizabeth CES | 723 | 386 | 17 | 777 | 187.3% |
St. Francis CES | 535 | 510 | 3 | 579 | 104.9% |
St. Joseph CES | 490 | 510 | 3 | 579 | 96.1% |
As the data demonstrates, St. Elizabeth CES, in particular, is significantly overcapacity, operating at 187.3% utilization with reliance on many portable classrooms and an annex location for its Grade 8 classes located at St. Stephen CSS. Enrollment pressures are also evident at St. Francis CES and Holy Family CES.
Preparing for future growth in the area, the Board must make important catchment area decisions now to ensure the new Northglen school helps alleviate current and future enrollment pressures throughout Clarington.
Our proposal for the new school boundary aims to address these enrollment challenges. Working closely with planning experts and using detailed demographic and enrollment data, we’ve developed a preferred boundary option that balances the needs of all affected schools. By redistributing students, the proposed boundary would:
- Reduce the utilization rate at St. Elizabeth CES from 187.3% to 109.8%, significantly alleviating pressure. This would allow the Board to close the Grade 8 annex at St. Stephen CSS and return the Grade 8s to the elementary school.
- Lower utilization rates at Holy Family CES and St. Francis CES to more sustainable levels.
- Optimize the utilization of the Northglen Catholic elementary school, filling it to 88.6% capacity upon opening.
The table below highlights the proposed impact of the new boundary changes on enrollment pressures.
School | Pupil Count | OTG | # of Portables | Total Capacity | Utilization |
Holy Family CES | 667 | 752 | 2 | 798 | 88.7% |
St. Elizabeth CES | 424 | 386 | 17 | 777 | 109.8% |
St. Francis CES | 499 | 510 | 3 | 579 | 97.8% |
St. Joseph CES | 490 | 510 | 3 | 579 | 96.1% |
Northglen CES | 437 | 493 | 0 | 493 | 88.6% |
The proposed boundary changes would be effective September 2026.
Who is impacted by the Proposed Boundary Change?
The proposed boundary changes impact the following school communities - St. Elizabeth CES, Holy Family CES and St. Francis of Asissi CES. No other schools in Clarington are affected by the boundary changes.
To help you better understand how these changes may affect you, please use the slider tool above or our interactive mapping tool below. This tool allows you to enter your address and see which school boundary your residence falls into under the proposed plan.
Explore the mapping tool here: Interactive Mapping Tool. (Link temporarily unavailable, it is being updated based on the Town Hall feedback)
Need help navigating the tool? View our video tutorial here:
Your Voice Matters
This catchment area review represents an opportunity to collaborate with families and stakeholders in shaping the future of our school communities. The proposed boundary reflects careful planning and analysis, but we value your feedback to ensure the final decision supports the long-term needs of all students.
We’ve provided a Question and Answer (Q&A) feature below for families to submit specific inquiries directly to board staff. This allows families to voice their unique concerns and allow us to refine our planning based on community feedback.
Explore the interactive mapping tool and review the FAQ to learn more about the proposed boundary, and provide your input through the survey and Q&A tools on this platform.
We will also be hosting a town hall meeting to provide information and receive feedback from families directly on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, at St. Stephen Catholic Secondary School at 300 Scugog Street starting at 6:30 p.m.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Survey
Q and A
Have a question not in the FAQ? Submit it here! Avoid personal details, as all posts may become public. Questions sent on/after Dec. 20, 2024, will be answered after the holiday break when school resumes Jan. 6, 2025.
