Southwest Burlington parent concerned over significant uncertainty over boundary review

By Maria Pakozdi

February 6th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

The ongoing Southwest Burlington boundary review is creating significant uncertainty and anxiety for families, particularly those with children in French Immersion, at a critical point in the school year when parents are being asked to make important program decisions for September. While boundary reviews are an important planning tool, the way this consultation is unfolding is raising serious concerns about governance, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.

As part of the review, the Halton District School Board has invited public input on proposed options intended to address enrolment pressures and support long-term planning in the area. At the first public meeting, three options were presented: relocating the French Immersion program to Central Public School, or moving it to Tecumseh Public School either as a Grades 2–6 program or a Grades 2–8 program.

At the second public meeting, it became clear that the two Tecumseh options received little to no support from parents. Families expressed strong concerns about children attending a JK–8 school and losing the important developmental experience of graduating elementary school, including leadership opportunities that come with being the oldest students in a school community.

The Grades 2–8 Tecumseh option also raised serious alarm because it would eliminate French Immersion at Central Middle School, weakening enrolment, reducing funding, and most importantly undermining the long-term viability of French Immersion at the middle- and high-school levels. It would also create split cohorts, with students transitioning from Tecumseh to different high schools, directly contradicting the Board’s stated boundary review goals of minimizing cohort splits and supporting smooth transitions.

In contrast, the option of relocating French Immersion to Central Public School aligned with those stated goals by maintaining program continuity, supporting stronger pathways into middle and high school, and reducing unnecessary cohort fragmentation.

Following the lack of community support for the Tecumseh options, the Board introduced additional ideas, including leaving French Immersion at Tom Thomson Public School as a single-track school. This option is problematic for multiple reasons and appears to conflict with the Board’s own policies, which do not permit single-track French Immersion schools that end at Grade 6. The Board has also continued to entertain the idea of keeping Tom Thomson as a dual-track school, despite clear capacity constraints that make this unworkable. Tom Thomson has a total capacity of approximately 219 students, and French Immersion enrolment alone is around 150, leaving fewer than 70 spaces for the English program—an amount that cannot sustain a viable JK–6 English stream and runs counter to the very purpose of conducting a boundary review.

Taken together, these developments are contributing to a growing lack of trust in the process. At a time when the Board is facing a significant and increasing deficit, it is troubling to see options being advanced that are not policy-compliant, operationally realistic, or fiscally prudent. Floating scenarios that would require inefficient use of space, increased transportation costs, or unsustainable staffing models raises legitimate concerns about whether the Board is fully applying its own policies and financial constraints.

The uncertainty created by this process is not theoretical. Parents are currently being asked to decide whether to enroll their children in French Immersion for Grade 2 next year. Prolonged ambiguity undermines confidence in the program, creates stress for families, and risks real harm to enrolment and program stability. Meaningful consultation is essential, but it must focus on realistic, policy-aligned options that genuinely meet the stated objectives of the review. Continuing to present implausible alternatives alongside the one option that clearly aligns with those goals risks wasting valuable time and eroding public trust when clarity and leadership are most needed.

Maria Pakozdi can be reached at mpakozdi@descartes.com