Student files FOI to find out why it cost $175K to rename Waterloo high school

Ishan Acharya in front of Laurel Heights Secondary School in Waterloo, Ont., on May 12, 2026. (Krista Simpson/CTV News)

A student is raising questions about a public school board’s financial priorities, after learning more than $175,000 was spent to rename a high school in Waterloo, Ont.

Trustees at the Waterloo Region District School Board voted in 2021 to rename Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School due to the prime minister’s founding role in the residential school system.

In a statement to CTV News, the board’s current director of education, Scott Miller, said the decision was “part of our ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and ensuring inclusive learning environments where all students feel safe, welcomed and respected.”

The school was officially renamed Laurel Heights Secondary School in 2022.

Grade 10 student Ishan Acharya wondered how much that decision cost.

When no one was able to tell him, he filed a freedom of information (FOI) request with the Waterloo Region District School Board.

They provided him with a list of expenses, totalling $195,105.86, or $176,466.50 net with an HST rebate.

“It just appalled me,” Acharya told CTV News. “I don’t know who decided to spend this much money when students were struggling.”

The majority of the expenses were for sports uniforms and equipment.

“I don’t think there’s any improvement to the actual school. It was just buying stuff that already existed or replacing stuff that was already there,” Acharya said.

Miller explained, in his statement to CTV News, “The decision to rename the school followed extensive engagement with students, parents, families, caregivers, staff, Indigenous communities and the broader community. We heard clearly from many members of the community that the previous name did not reflect the inclusive and welcoming learning environments we strive to create for all students.”

As for the more than $175,000 price tag, Miller said, “Those costs were anticipated as part of the process, and the board understood that implementing these changes would require the investment.”

Acharya still questions the use of taxpayer dollars and the board’s priorities.

He said there are students at Laurel Heights who do not eat lunch because they cannot afford it. He also pointed to the temporary closure of Elizabeth Ziegler Public School over structural concerns, as another example of where the money should go.

“I believe everybody wants all of our peers to be in a safe learning environment where they feel welcome, especially Indigenous students,” Acharya said. “But spending $200,000 to rename a school is just… I don’t think it was needed at all. That money could have been spent in a lot of other places.”

In his statement, Miller noted that, “Many school boards, municipalities, universities and public institutions across Canada have undertaken similar reviews and renaming processes in recent years as part of advancing commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, responding to community feedback and ensuring inclusive spaces.”

The Ontario government also updated legislation in 2025 to require approval from the Minister of Education when renaming a school.

Plans for three schools in Toronto, including Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, were abandoned by the provincially-appointed supervisor at that school board in 2025.

As for Acharya, he hoped that by sharing the cost to rename Laurel Heights Secondary School, more thought would be put into future spending decisions at school boards across the province.

“When you’re making decisions for students, always consider how many students are you helping,” he suggested. “And are these critical services or changes that will actually help students?”

Acharya would also like to see more transparency from the Waterloo Region District School Board.

“I, a student, shouldn’t have went through a whole FOI process to find out the total cost to rename the school,” he said. “It should have been open and transparent to the public.”