PETITION:
In Support of Building a Second Public Elementary School in Findlay Creek

HERE TO SERVE
This petition is in support of making a second public elementary school in Findlay Creek one of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board’s top capital priority funding requests.
This petition was created by a group of concerned parents in Findlay Creek: Ms. Kaveeta Ajwani, Mr. Ahmed Fawal, and Mr. Intiaz Rahim. All signatures will be sent to the organizers.
Thank you!
/Goldie Ghamari, MPP

PETITION: In Support of Building a Second Public Elementary School in Findlay Creek

TO: The Ottawa Carleton District School Board: –

WHEREAS the population of Findlay Creek, South of Ottawa, as of mid-2021 is currently at 14,890 with approximately 4,910 homes and a future build out in the order of approximately 7,000 homes.

AND WHEREAS Vimy Ridge Public School (VRPS) is the only public elementary school (JK-8) within the Leitrim catchment of the greater Ottawa area, with batches of new pupils being enrolled in the school throughout the year.

AND WHEREAS the funding to build a second Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) elementary school in Findlay Creek (JK-8) is urgently needed on land already purchased by the OCDSB, given the current VRPS enrollment is 153% over capacity, with a projected increase to 181% in 2022 and 203% in 2023.

AND WHEREAS the newly announced Catholic elementary school (JK-6) being built next to VRPS will serve to bring elementary school children who are currently bussed out of the area back to Findlay Creek, with little impact on alleviating the pressures on VRPS enrollment.

AND WHEREAS the VRPS projected student and newly announced Catholic School population will result in significant additional traffic to the already congested Findlay Creek Dr. / Kelly Farm Dr. corridor that are main arteries within the community, causing great inconvenience and safety issues for staff, pupils, and parents of VRPS alike, as well as for the greater Findlay Creek community.

AND WHEREAS the Findlay Creek & Riverside South communities are against the proposed short-term measure to move intermediate (grade 7 & 8) students from VRPS in Findlay Creek to the already overpopulated Steve MacLean Public School (SMPS) in Riverside South.

AND WHEREAS a second OCDSB public elementary school is required immediately to meet the fast-growing needs of the community, eliminate the need for the proposed short-term measure, and keep Findlay Creek pupils within their local community.

We, the undersigned, petition The Ottawa Carleton District School Board as follows:

To prioritize the need for building a second Public Elementary School in Findlay Creek by ensuring it is one of the top capital priorities projects on their ranked list of capital priorities that they submit to the Ministry of Education in the next round of calls.