Elizabeth Ziegler Public School to remain closed until next year, students resume in-person classes

CTV’s Heather Senoran finds out what in store as an elementary school closure will stretch on longer than initially expected.

Students at Elizabeth Ziegler Public School finally returned to in-person learning Tuesday, almost one month after the Waterloo building was shut down due to structural concerns.

Most of the students are attending classes in the 12 portables set up on school grounds, while others are being bused to Sandowne Public School.

The Waterloo Region District School Board closed Elizabeth Ziegler Public School on March 3 and brought in an engineering firm to assess its façade. Even before their report was complete, engineers determined that no one should occupy any part of the building until further notice.

After March break, parents picked up iPads and Chromebook from the school as students shifted to remote learning.

The school board then announced its plan for a return to in-person classes starting on April 1.

Hernan, a Grade 1 student, said he was happy to be back on Tuesday.

“Because I get to see my friends in person,” Hernan said. “I’m honestly pretty proud of myself that I was doing home school for a month.”

Hernan noted the main difference with the portables is that the bathrooms are portable.

His mother said it isn’t a great long-term solution.

“Especially in the winter. Going outside is hard when you have to go to washroom two or three times a day,” said Elizabeth Lardeo, Hernan’s mother.

Sarah Rank has a son that is in one of the portables. She’s pleased with what she saw on Tuesday.

“I was able to actually peek into his portable and they look brand new there. It was actually a really beautiful portable, nice flooring, really clean,” Rank said.

Rank has a daughter that is in French Immersion, so she has to go to Sandowne during Elizabeth Ziegler’s closure.

“So we’ve got, you know, a 20-30 minute wait at the end of the day to pick up my daughter after picking up my son in in the morning too. A little bit different in terms of drop off and getting the other one on the bus,” she said.

School staying closed

Families were told at that time that Elizabeth Ziegler Public School would not reopen before the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

An update on the school’s website indicated the school will now remain closed for another year.

“Unfortunately, the interim [engineering] report does make it clear that we will not be able to occupy Elizabeth Ziegler Public School for the 2025-2026 school year,” the post read. “We have made a determination about the 2025-26 school year based on the information known to date in the interim report and know the final report will not change this outcome.”

The school said they are seeking further consultation from the current structural engineering firm, an architect and an additional consulting engineer. A final report is expected in late April or early May.

No details have been released yet about the school board’s plan for the 2025-2026 school year.

“Now that we know that Elizabeth Ziegler PS students and staff will not be able to return to the school next school year, we have begun exploring possible options for 2025-26. Throughout this process, we are continuing to prioritize keeping the Elizabeth Ziegler school community together while providing clarity and certainty for staff, students and families. Decision-making will be guided by the capacity of available sites and program requirements. We anticipate sharing our plans for the 2025-26 school year soon to allow students, staff and families to plan appropriately,” the school board said, in part, in an email to CTV News.

Parents said they are eager to find out what the plan is for next year, but Rank said she understands it won’t be an easy solution for the school board.

“It’s hard to find a building that can accommodate 500 students. Hopefully there’s enough time for the board and the trustees to figure out if there is any potential space, community centers, churches, that kind of thing,” Rank said.

The director of education with the WRDSB said he grateful for the patience and resilience of students, parents and caregivers during this process and ensures families will be updated as soon as a decision is made for next year.