As the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board continues to wrestle over the fate of Rideau High School, Lisgar Collegiate Institute is ready to welcome the students should the school be shut down.
“We have a far more varied and multicultural population than many people realize – almost half of our students speak a language other than English at home,” a report from the school council said. “Lisgar does a good job of serving as both a strong gifted site and as a community school.”
The Lisgar School Council consists of a majority of parents, as well as teachers, staff and students.
While the school prepared to embrace the students, council members said they would have liked being consulted over the possibility of Lisgar becoming a receiving school for Rideau High School students.
“As things stand currently, it is difficult to assess the potential impact on Lisgar,” the report said.
Council members are concerned about how the school will be affected. Reducing the transfer cap can create problems, the report said. Having a balance of programs, including a strong gifted program has been a critical part of the school’s success.
“Our programs and students have had considerable success, and we'd like the board to ensure that our strong programs continue to be properly supported,” the report said.
The school council suggested that in the future the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board should consult all schools that will be affected by possible school closures.
The comments from the Lisgar School Council were from a presentation the council was supposed to give at a school board meeting Monday night. Because the meeting ran longer than expected, another meeting is set for Wednesday night when Lisgar School Council will be able to present.