TVDSB taking immediate steps to address enrolment at Sir Arthur Currie

Intense enrolment pressure at Sir Arthur Currie Public School in London, Ont., is causing the Thames Valley District school Board (TVDSB) to take “immediate steps.”

Intense enrolment pressure at Sir Arthur Currie Public School in London, Ont., is causing the Thames Valley District school Board (TVDSB) to take “immediate steps” to deal with the issue, according to a release.

“The school’s capacity has been pushed to its absolute limit,” said Geoff Vogt, Superintendent of Facilities Services and Capital Planning, noting there are now 22 portables on site. Temporary parking for school staff has been set up at a nearby municipal park.

Another recommendation relates to students from two areas in northwest London – known as the Fox Hollow West and Sunningdale North Holding Zones – who are currently bussed to Ryerson Public School.

“The Sir Arthur Currie PS satellite campus will be housed in a fully renovated building on the secondary school property and provide many advantages for Grade 7 and 8 students,” said Vogt, pointing to students’ access to the high school’s library, gyms, playing fields and other amenities. Banting is also the designated secondary school for Sir Arthur Currie students.

The school opened in 2017 with a capacity of 533 pupils. Due to the rapid pace of development and migration to London, enrolment jumped to 850 last year – with enrolment reaching 995 this year. Enrolment is projected to grow to more than 1,300 by 2024.

In October 2020, the Ministry of Education approved funding a new school to accommodate 802 students to relieve some of the enrolment pressures in northwest London.

The Board is currently in the process of acquiring land, but design and construction of the new school can take up to four years to complete.