Parents voice concerns about OCDSB's plan to integrate specialized programs

Parents with children in specialized education programs say they're concerned about a plan by Ottawa's largest English-language school board to integrate more of those programs into neighborhood elementary schools. 

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board's (OCDSB) proposed changes, released earlier this month and set to take effect in the fall of 2026, include eliminating alternative schools by turning them into community schools, as well as a major redistribution of school boundaries and new options for immersion programs.

Most of the 142 specialized classes that are currently available will remain in place, but 39 will be phased out over the next two to three years, with resources moving to regular classrooms.

It's something you can't get in a regular classroom.- Jennifer Macdonald, parent

This includes a wide range of specialized programs geared toward general learning, gifted students, language-based learning disabilities, broader learning disabilities and primary special needs.

Jennifer Macdonald, whose son is currently enrolled in a specialized education program, was among many parents who raised concerns about the changes during a meeting of OCDSB trustees on Tuesday.

Macdonald, whose son is in high school, said the program has played a critical role in his education and development since Grade 4, particularly through its focus on practical life skills such as meal planning, cooking, laundry and vehicle maintenance.

"My son has learned how to change a tire and oil in a vehicle this year, and he's so proud of that. It's something you can't get in a regular classroom," Macdonald said.

Even though her son will have aged out of the program by the time the changes take effect, Macdonald said she'd like to see other children benefit from it the way he has. She called for more transparency and clarity around the board's plan.

'This isn't inclusion'

Parents were not permitted to address the board on Tuesday, but some said they expect public delegations will be allowed at an upcoming meeting.

Alicia Vrivswyk, a parent and advocate, expressed her frustration over the limited opportunities for public input. 

"We are just here to be seen and to let them know that we're still listening, we're watching, and we are seeing these cuts as detrimental and devastating" Vrivswyk she said.

Vrivswyk, whose daughter has been enrolled in a special needs class since primary school, is also concerned about the board's plan to integrate the programs without increasing resources, warning it will harm all students and reduce the quality of their education.

"This isn't inclusion," Vrivswyk said. "Our kids will be stuck in the back of the class with a tablet or a sensory bin. Everyone is going to suffer here — the mainstream parents need to be upset about this as well."

Hemk Vandermolen, whose daughter is in Grade 5 and has Down syndrome, said the specialized program has significantly improved his child's learning and quality of life.

"In regular classrooms, she had trouble accessing the curriculum, she had trouble connecting with her peers, she was lonely," he said. "In the specialized classrooms she can access the curriculum, she is with peers. She picks up the learning material very well. She really likes going to school now."

Integration has its benefits, board says

While his daughter will be able to complete the elementary program before it's phased out, Vandermolen is worried future students will lose access to similar supports. He described the school board's consultations as "predetermined," suggesting the move is more about cost-cutting than improving education.

According to the OCDSB, research supports integration and inclusion for children with special needs, but Vandermolen questioned whether the new approach will provide the same benefits as the current program.

The board says its planned changes, including those around new options for immersion programs and alternative learning, aim to "shift services to students, not students to services," and will lower the risk of "prematurely making early placement and pathway decisions that inadvertently limit pathway opportunities later on."

The overhaul means roughly 12,000 students are expected to change schools in September 2026, significantly more than the 6,000 to 10,000 who switch annually, according to the board.

A school locator tool to help parents and students identify designated schools is expected to be available next month. The transition will require retrofitting classrooms, updating school resources and realigning staff, the board said.