A presentation made to the Ottawa District School Board on June 16. Includes a summary of survey results from the Stittsville Public High School Now group.

1. Why A New Public High School for
Stittsville is Needed NOW!

2. “I have lived in the area of Stittsville since
1999. These discussions were going on then
with city counsellors and school boards. I
really didn't pay much attention because I
really thought high school was so far off for
my newborn son that a school would
definitely be built….
He will be done high school in 2 years
and [there’s] no school.
16 years ago and still nothing done…”
- Kathy

3. Historical Context
• Stittsville is growing rapidly and one of the
fastest growing communities in Ontario
• Stittsville residents have been asking for a
public high school for over 20 years
• The need for a new high school in Stittsville was
first formally identified by the OCDSB in 2006
• Some new areas of Stittsville are being re-zoned
to Kanata schools that are already over crowded

4. ‘Stittsville Public High School Now’
Community Survey
• Designed and administered by volunteer
committee
• Over 1,700 respondents completed it
– Excellent sample size (5% margin of error & 95% CI)
– Broad representation of neighborhoods
– Normal distribution of religious affiliation
• Distribution:
– Used a convenience sample primarily based on Shad
Qadri’s email distribution list of 4,400+ subscribers
– Also social media and some school council email
lists

5. Stittsville Residents Say:
“We need a public high school!”
• 90% (1,679) of
respondents
strongly agree/
agree there is a need
for a new public high
school in Stittsville
5
Strongly
Agree
80%
Agree
10%
Neither
4%
Disagree
2%
Strongly
Disagree
4%

6. Students are Leaving the OCDSB
• If no public high school within Stittsville, 56%
(962) will send their children to Sacred Heart
– 80% respondents currently
in English public system
– In 2014-15, Sacred Heart
is 105% over-capacity with
6 portables
– OCSB is planning a third HS
in Stittsville post-2021
0 500 1000 1500
South Carleton High
School
Sacred Heart Catholic
High School
New French Catholic
High School
Holy Trinity Catholic
High School
Other

7. Students are Leaving the OCDSB
• Almost 22% of
yes/no respondents
have already
switched their
child(ren) from
public to Catholic
schools
Yes
22%
No
78%

8. Residents are Frustrated with
Current Situation
• 58% (1,078) strongly
agree/agree that they
have considered
switching school boards
due to no public HS
Strongly
Agree
35%
Agree
23%
Neither
15%
Disagree
11%
Strongly
Disagree
16%
• Over 50% (936) strongly agree/agree they
feel they had/will have no choice but to
switch to Catholic board due to proximity

9. Residents are
Involved in THIS Community
• Over 85% (1,414) say that “Proximity to
Home” is somewhat or very important in
selecting a high school
• Over 79% (1,308) say that having a
“Community Hub” within a new school
infrastructure is somewhat important or
very important in selecting a high school

10. A New Stittsville Public High School
will be almost Instantly Viable
• 73% (1,248) say their
child(ren) will attend
a public high school
in Stittsville if a new
one exists when they
need one
• 12% (208) do not yet
know
10
Yes
73%
No
15%
Do not
know
12%

11. A New Stittsville Public High School
will be almost Instantly Viable
• Stittsville public school data (2014) indicates a
projected public high school population of:
– 853 by 2019
– 919 by 2024
• This does NOT include:
– new housing developments in the fastest growing
community in Ottawa, growing to 75,000 by 2025;
OR
– students who switch boards, are over-crowding
other schools, and would go to public HS

12. Stittsville Needs a Public High School
Now!
• Only community of our size in Ontario without a
public high school
• Addresses immediate and future needs of
Stittsville given the booming population
• Potential to address additional expansion needs
for A.Y. Jackson and West Carleton high schools
which are also seeking capital funding
• It would address over-crowding at Sacred Heart
• It would keep students in the public system!

13. Questions:
info@stittsvillepublichighschoolnow.com
www.stittsvillepublichighschoolnow.com
@sphs_now
https://www.facebook.com/publichsnow

14. BACKUP/REFERENCE SLIDES

15. Historical Context
• Stittsville is growing rapidly and is now one of the fastest growing
communities in Ontario
– Population trends: 2006: 18,950; 2015: approx. 30,000 and projected for 2025: 75,000
• Stittsville residents have been asking for a public high school for over 20
years
– Stittsville has one public school option – South Carleton that is over 15 km away in
another town
– Over 600 Stittsville students travel by bus 1.5 hour each day to/from South Carleton –
there are no public transportation options
– Given the lack of options, many families are switching to the Catholic School Board BUT
their preference is to remain with OCDSB
• The need for a new high school in Stittsville was first formally identified by
the OCDSB in 2006
– OCDSB ranked it as a #9 priority in 2011; it dropped to #13 by 2012; moved up to #4 by
2013; and is currently #2
• Some new areas of Stittsville are being re-zoned to Kanata schools that are
already over crowded

16. Eligible Project Categories
• Projects eligible for funding consideration for
this round of Capital Priorities program must
meet certain criteria, including:
– Accommodation Pressure
• Projects to accommodate pupils where enrolment is
currently or is projected to persistently exceed capacity
at a school or within a group of schools, and students
are currently housed in non-permanent space (e.g.
portables).
• Ministry of Education (May 26, 2015)
(emphasis added)

17. Development and Zoning in Stittsville

18. Survey Methodology Overview
• Survey designed and
administered by volunteer
community members
• Over 1,700 respondents
– Almost 70% were parents of
school-age children
– Broad representation from
people in neighborhoods
across Stittsville
– Normal distribution of religious
denominations - 35% reported
no religious affiliation
• Stringent in extrapolation of
data to Stittsville population
– For a population of 30,000,
with margin of error of +/- 3%
and confidence level of 95%,
need a sample size of 1,030
• Used a convenience sample
including Shad Qadri’s news
distribution list of 6,000
subscribers
• Also distributed via
– Social media: Facebook and
Twitter
– Stittsville Public High School
Now mailing list
– Emails from schools including
ALC, SPS, and South Carleton
– Attempted to distribute to
Catholic schools, but refused
to send or did not respond
18

19. Residents are Frustrated with
Current Situation
• Almost 28% strongly agree/agree they
considered moving out of Stittsville to be
closer to public high school

20. Please select the option below that best describes you:

21. Where do you currently direct your education tax dollars?

22. To what extent do you agree:
n=1539
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
There is a need for a new public high school in
Stittsville
I would direct my tax dollars to Ottawa-Carleton
District School Board if there was a new public high…
I have considered moving out of Stittsville in order to
be closer to a public high school
I have considered switching school boards because
there is no public high school in the Stittsville…
I felt I had no choice/will have no choice but to switch
my child to the catholic school board because of…
4%
9%
24%
17%
17%
2%
5%
23%
11%
11%
4%
10%
26%
15%
22%
10%
8%
15%
23%
19%
80%
67%
13%
35%
31%
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree

23. I have switched my child(ren) from the public board to the
catholic school board

24. If there is no public high school within the Stittsville
community where do you plan to send your child(ren)?

25. Will your child attend a public high school in Stittsville if a
new one exists when your child starts high school?