Chapel Hill and St. Kateri Tekakwitha Schools

The purpose of this page is to provide a brief overview of information included in the Chapel Hill and St. Tekakwitha School Creation of Proposed Option Area Consultation Document

UPDATE: As of January 28th, 2025, the boundary revisions contained in this proposal have been approved by the Board of Trustees. For more information, please visit the  Board website. 

The Ottawa Catholic School Board of proposing a revision to the attendance boundaries of St. Kateri Tekakwitha and Chapel Hill Elementary Schools.

New residential development over the past five years within the St. Kateri Tekakwitha attendance area has resulted in increased enrolments, and the need for a high number of portable classrooms.

Board staff are proposing that elementary school students residing within the St. Kateri Tekakwitha attendance area located south of Innes Road, be given the option to attend either St. Kateri Tekakwitha or Chapel Hill Schools.

The purpose of this change is outlined in the Board's draft 2024  Capital Plan , which was presented to Trustees on June 25, 2024, and is now open for community consultation.

Although the St. Kateri Tekakwitha boundary is largely a mature suburban neighborhood, significant residential development is underway in the development area known as the East Urban Community (EUC) south of Innes Road. This area is one of Ottawa's key growth areas, with over 9,700 new homes planned upon full development.

Rapid home construction over the past five years has caused significant enrolment pressure at the school. In September 2024, the school was operating at 199% of its permanent capacity, requiring the use of ten portable classrooms.

Without change, over the next five years enrolment at St. Kateri Tekakwitha School is forecast to increase to 672 students (resulting in a utilization rate of 251%, and an estimated need for 17 portables).  Accommodating a student enrolment of this size at the school is not feasible.  

Enrolment at Chapel Hill is projected to increase from 214 students in September 2024 to 274 students in 2029 (a utilization rate of 102%).  The school has the ability to add portable classrooms to its relatively large site. 

The difference in enrolment between the two schools is due to the characteristics of their respective attendance areas. The residential development in the EUC falls within the current St. Kateri Tekakwitha ES boundary, while the Chapel Hill ES boundary area is made up of more mature, established neighborhoods.

October 31, 2023

The long-term plan for the EUC includes a planned new elementary school located south of Renaud Road.  The availability of this site will depend on the timing of subdivision applications and servicing in the area.  The site will likely not be accessible within the next five years.

In June 2024, the provincial government allocated capital funding for the construction of a new elementary school in the Mer Bleue area, within the attendance boundary of Our Lady of Wisdom Elementary School. 

While the specific attendance boundaries for this new school will be determined through a separate consultation process in the future, its location and the rapid pace of recent development in the area suggest that it may not fully alleviate the enrolment pressures currently experienced at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Elementary School.

A boundary change will therefore be necessary to manage continued growth until a new elementary school can be opened in the EUC.

With the creation of an Option Area for students residing within the EUC, it is anticipated that over time students will begin to choose to attend Chapel Hill ES instead of St. Kateri Tekakwitha ES. This projected shift in enrolment should help with accommodation needs at St. Kateri Tekakwitha ES in the near future.

As a result of ongoing residential development in the southern part of Orleans future student enrolment at St. Kateri Tekakwitha ES will continue to exceed available capacity.  

The creation of an Option Area located south of Innes Road will reduce accommodation pressures and the need for additional portable classrooms at St. Kateri Tekakwitha ES in the coming years.  

This proposed revision will also help accommodate students from new development in the EUC until a future new elementary school can be opened to serve students locally.

Consultation process will take place between October 2024 - January 2025. 

An Information session will be held for both school communities on November 20, 2024 at Chapel Hill ES.

A recommendation report regarding the proposed option area  is expected to be brought to the Board of Trustees for final approval at a meeting on January 28, 2025, following completion of the public consultation process.

Explore the full  Consultation Document  for detailed insights and participate in the ongoing dialogue about our schools' future.

We value your feedback and welcome any suggestions. Please share your thoughts with us via the following  Feedback Form 

To ensure that feedback can be incorporated into our final recommendations, we request that all input be submitted no later than January 15, 2025