As a result of ongoing enrolment growth at White Oaks Secondary School, driven primarily by the North Oakville Secondary Plan area north of Dundas Street, a temporary redirection of secondary school students to T.A. Blakelock High School has been implemented. This redirection will be phased over two years, starting in Sept. 2022, and will remain in place until the new Oakville NE #1 HS is open.
Board Report 21143 was presented to the Board of Trustees on November 17, 2021 outlining the temporary redirection.
Update - October 30, 2024
The redirection of new English and French Immersion student registrations from the White Oaks SS to T.A. Blakelock HS is temporarily suspended until further notice as of Oct 30, 2024. Note that students that are currently redirected to TA. Blakelock HS will complete the 2024/25 school year at T.A. Blakelock HS.
Note that if White Oaks SS sees significant growth and experiences enrolment pressures as determined by Board staff, the redirection may be reinstated and new English and French Immersion student registrations may be redirected to T.A. Blakelock HS.
What does this mean for the students and families north of Dundas Street in Oakville?
The affected school communities are strictly located north of Dundas Street, and are identified in the attached map and listed below:
- English Program: River Oaks PS, Falgarwood PS, Palermo PS
- French Immersion Program: Munn’s PS, Sunningdale PS, and Palermo PS
Students currently in Grades 5-7:
New and existing students who reside north of Dundas Street, will be redirected to T.A. Blakelock H.S. until the new Oakville NE #1 HS opens, and the completion of a boundary review process to define final attendance areas. School bus transportation will be provided.
Students currently in Grade 8:
Students who reside north of Dundas Street from the above listed elementary schools will attend White Oaks S.S. for English and French Immersion for Sept. 2022. School bus transportation will be provided.
What about specialized program offerings?
Students located north of Dundas Street in Oakville will continue to attend the following secondary school locations listed below until the new Oakville NE #1 HS opens, and the completion of a boundary review process to define final attendance areas and programs.
- Essential Program - White Oaks SS
- Community Pathways Program (CPP) - White Oaks SS
- Secondary Gifted Placement - Iroquois Ridge HS
- Accelerated Learning Program - White Oaks SS (fall application process), for students who intend on pursuing the International Baccalaureate program in Grades 11 and 12
- I-STEM Program (fall application process):
- Aldershot HS (Burlington)
- Elsie MacGill SS (Milton)
The I-STEM program is also being implemented at T.A. Blakelock HS, effective September 2023, starting with Grade 9 students. The application process in fall 2022 will include this third location option.
2-Year Implementation of the Redirection:
The actions that are to take place over the course of the redirection are as follows:
Actions for September 2022:- Secondary students enrolling in English or French Immersion program for September 2022 from outside HDSB (HCDSB, other boards, migration, new development) and reside within the River Oaks, Falgarwood and Palermo ENG catchments areas (as per attachment) are directed to T.A. Blakelock HS, with redirection in place until Oakville NE #1 HS opens;
- Students residing in North Oakville and attending the Community Pathways Program are directed to White Oaks SS; and,
- Grade 8 students graduating in June 2022 in North Oakville from Oodenawi PS, Dr. David R. Williams PS, River Oaks PS, Falgarwood PS, Munns PS, Sunningdale PS, and Palermo PS will continue to attend White Oaks SS for English and French Immersion.
Actions for September 2023 onward:- New students students enrolling for September 2022 in the English and French Immersion programs from outside HDSB (HCDSB, other boards, migration, new development) and reside within the River Oaks PS, Falgarwood PS and Palermo PS ENG catchments areas (as per attachment) are directed to T.A. Blakelock HS, with redirection in place until Oakville NE #1 HS opens;
- Students residing in North Oakville attending the Community Pathways Program are directed to White Oaks SS;
- Graduating Grade 8 students in North Oakville from River Oaks PS, Falgarwood PS, Munn's PS, Sunningdale PS, and Palermo PS will attend T.A. Blakelock HS for English and French Immersion; and,
- Graduating Grade 8 students in North Oakville from Oodenawi PS and Dr. David R. Williams PS will attend White Oaks SS for English and French Immersion.
Frequently asked questions:
To supplement the above informationthe below Frequently Asked Questions on this redirection have been added to address situations that may be more specific to you and your family.
If you have further questions, please contact Planning Services by email at plan@hdsb.ca or by phone at 905-335-3663 if you have any questions with regard to this temporary redirection.
Q: Why is a redirection necessary?A: White Oaks SS is presently witnessing significant enrolment pressures, and has already reached its maximum portable capacity on site. The school is also projected to have a student population of well over 2,000 in the coming years. Given the pressures and the size of the school, and to ensure the best possible programming is offered to students, a redirection is being implemented to offset pressures and have a sustainably sized school.
A: The delay in opening Oakville NE #1 HS has caused the need to offset the above noted pressures to an alternate site, until it is ready to open.
Q: Will this be a permanent solution?A: This is a temporary response to address ongoing enrolment pressures at White Oaks SS. As the new Oakville NE #1 HS has been delayed, the Board needs to redirect pressures to another facility that has space, namely T.A. Blakelock HS. This redirection will remain in place until such a time Oakville NE #1 HS opens, and that the new boundaries are defined as part of a future Oakville Secondary School Boundary Review Process.
Q: When will Oakville NE #1 HS open, and is there an update on progress?A: At this time, there is no definitive date as to when Oakville NE #1 HS will open. Although funding for the school has been acquired, the Board was required to identify a new site given deficiencies with the original property. Staff is working alongside the landowners and municipal agencies to advance the preparation of the site and to ensure the construction of the new school as expeditiously as possible.
Q: How do students apply for the I-STEM program proposed for T.A. Blakelock HS in Sept. 2023?A: The Oakville I-STEM program will be open fall 2022 for applications for the 2023/2024 school year. This informaiton will be posted in Fall 2022
here.
A: Students receiving transportation for T.A. Blakelock HS from these areas, and who are accepted in I-STEM, will be able to use transportation as it is their home school (as per
Transportation Eligibility guidelines for secondary schools)
Board Reports
Additional Information