The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board (SWLSB) is proposing to close Our Lady of Peace Elementary and relocate Phoenix Alternative High School as it faces a projected $8.3-million deficit for the 2025-26 school year.
According to a written presentation delivered at a public meeting held Thursday at Laval Junior Academy, the board says it needs to “optimize” its use of resources. Under the proposal, about 150 in-zone students from Our Lady of Peace would be transferred to Souvenir Elementary, roughly eight kilometres away. Another 20 in-zone students would have the option of moving to Souvenir or to Twin Oaks Elementary, about one kilometre from their current school.
The plan also calls for about 40 in-zone standard-program students at Crestview Elementary, which also offers special education classes, to move to Souvenir. Around 30 out-of-zone students currently at Our Lady of Peace or Crestview would only be transferred to Souvenir if classroom space allows.
Financial Pressures and Declining Enrolment
The board says its financial difficulties stem partly from declining enrolment across Laval schools, which have lost about 700 students since 2020. It also notes that roughly 650 students living within SWLSB territory enter inter-board agreements each year to attend schools under a different board, which it says has significantly affected its finances.
The SWLSB projects more than $730,000 in savings from teacher salaries as a result of having five fewer classes following the consolidation of schools. Total annual savings from the proposed student transfers are estimated at about $1 million.
Christine Baxter, whose son attended Our Lady of Peace, said many parents oppose the closure, pointing to the school’s small class sizes and close relationships between staff and families. She said she does not believe alternative cost-saving suggestions from parents were seriously considered during Thursday’s consultation, and argued the proposed transfers could push more families to leave the school district altogether. She also noted the closure would result in job losses for staff at the school.
Alternative High School’s Future in Question
Phoenix Alternative High School, which serves about 50 students in Grades 9, 10 and 11, also faces changes under the proposal. The board’s options include relocating the school to a dedicated space within Laval Senior Academy, a larger mainstream school about eight kilometres away, or closing Phoenix entirely and integrating its students into regular high schools with additional support.
Christina Cichon, who served as Phoenix’s principal from 2012 to 2015, said closing the school should not be an option, describing it as the only alternative high school in Laval and a last resort for students who have not been well supported elsewhere. She raised concerns that sharing a building with a mainstream school could lead to stigmatization of Phoenix students, and suggested it would make more sense to house adult learners at Laval Senior Academy instead, since they would be less likely to face that stigma.
The board says the proposed move is driven by the need to relocate its adult education centre, CDC Vimont, into Phoenix’s current building. It says CDC Vimont’s existing space has infrastructure problems and rent costs that are set to rise substantially next year.
Next Steps
In a statement issued on behalf of the board’s Council of Commissioners, chairperson James Di Sano said the board would take time to reflect on feedback received and consider the concerns raised, adding that it remains committed to decisions that account for the needs of students and school communities. A special meeting of the Council of Commissioners was scheduled for Tuesday to determine next steps in the consultation process.
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