The wait for a public high school in Stittsville has been a long one to put it mildly. Decades of lobbying by local parents and politicians finally came to fruition in January 2018 when the province announced it would invest $37 million in a new Stittsville high school. The secondary school was originally proposed to open in 2023. With supply chain issues and labour shortages during the pandemic, construction was delayed. The completion date was then changed to the spring of 2024, but that timeline also proved idealistic. Just days from the September 3, 2024 opening, parents learned that the school building will not be ready to accept students on the first day of this school year. Students in Grades 7, 8 and 9 were supposed to start attending Maplewood Secondary.
In an update sent to parents on Wednesday, August 28 via email, A.J. Keene, Superintendent of Education (South), said that “although the contractor, Tambro Construction Ltd., continues to insist the school will be ready for September 3rd, the board has decided to trigger its contingency plan”.
Keene further explained in his update, “Based on the design team’s review, the number of outstanding safety issues strongly suggest that the building will likely fail the formal occupancy inspection this week.”
Under the board’s contingency plan, Grade 7 and 8 students will be temporarily moved to the former D.A. Moodie Intermediate School in Bells Corners, while Grade 9 students will attend classes virtually.
“Ottawa Student Transportation Authority buses will be available to take students to D.A. Moodie”, Keene said. To accommodate busing schedules, the new bell times will be from 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., which is 15 minutes earlier than was communicated previously.
“We apologize for the inconvenience and stress this may cause and appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to prevent further disruptions, and prioritize the safety of our students and staff,” Keene wrote. “We are hopeful this contingency plan will be in effect for a minimal period of time as occupancy appears very close.”
When Maplewood Secondary, located at the corner of Robert Grant Avenue and Cope Drive, is fully operational, the school will have more than 1,300 students from Grades 7 to 12 in attendance.