Protect Existing Paris Students: Give Families the Choice to Stay
Protect Existing Paris Students: Give Families the Choice to Stay
The Issue
Paris is growing, and we support the opening of a new elementary school. However, growth should not come at the expense of children already established in their school communities.
The proposed Paris North Boundary Review could require children across Paris to leave schools where they have spent years building friendships, relationships with trusted teachers, familiar routines and a strong sense of belonging.
Our request is simple: Every student enrolled in an affected Paris school during the current 2026–27 school year, from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 8, should be grandfathered into their existing school and given the choice to remain there until completing Grade 8.
This protection should apply to all currently enrolled students, regardless of their grade, neighbourhood or where the new attendance boundaries are drawn.
Families who wish to transition to the school assigned under the new boundaries should also have that choice. No existing student should be forced to change schools solely because of a boundary change.
Why this matters
Children are more than enrolment numbers. Their mental health, emotional well-being, academic success and sense of belonging matter.
Research involving elementary-aged children has linked school mobility with declines in academic performance and classroom participation. Changing schools can also disrupt friendships, trusted relationships and established routines, potentially affecting children’s emotional well-being and sense of security.
These concerns apply to children at every age, not only those approaching Grade 8.
Grand Erie District School Board’s own Strategic Plan emphasizes “Learning, Well-Being and Belonging” for each learner. We believe these values must be reflected in decisions that directly affect children’s school communities.
The proposed boundaries may also require some children to attend schools farther from their homes, creating additional challenges with walking, transportation, drop-offs and pick-ups.
What we are asking GEDSB to do
1. Grandfather every student enrolled during the 2026–27 school year.
Every child already attending an affected Paris school during this school year, from JK through Grade 8, should be entitled to remain at that same school until completing Grade 8, even after the new boundaries take effect.
2. Give families the choice to move.
Families who prefer their child to attend the newly assigned school should be able to transition voluntarily when the new boundaries take effect.
3. Phase in new attendance boundaries.
Apply the new boundaries to incoming Kindergarten students and future new enrolment, allowing a gradual transition as existing students graduate or families choose to move.
4. Protect siblings and families.
Include sibling protections to avoid unnecessarily separating children from the same family between schools.
5. Build grandfathering into the boundary planning process.
Model and publicly share the enrolment, capacity and transportation impacts of this choice-based approach before finalizing the boundaries and transition plans.
Grandfathering must be considered from the beginning, not afterward based on whatever capacity remains.
We support growth, but we also support protecting our children.
This petition is not about opposing the new school. It is about protecting the children who already belong to their current school communities.
Creating new attendance boundaries and forcing children who are already enrolled to change schools are two separate decisions.
We believe Paris can welcome a new school while protecting the stability, well-being and educational experience of the children already attending our schools.
We urge Grand Erie District School Board and its Trustees to adopt a grandfathering policy for all students enrolled in affected Paris schools during the 2026–27 school year, allowing families to choose whether their children remain at their current school through Grade 8 or transition to their newly assigned school.
Please sign and share this petition to protect existing Paris students and give families the choice to stay.
Our community can grow without unnecessarily disrupting the children who already call these schools home.
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The Issue
Paris is growing, and we support the opening of a new elementary school. However, growth should not come at the expense of children already established in their school communities.
The proposed Paris North Boundary Review could require children across Paris to leave schools where they have spent years building friendships, relationships with trusted teachers, familiar routines and a strong sense of belonging.
Our request is simple: Every student enrolled in an affected Paris school during the current 2026–27 school year, from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 8, should be grandfathered into their existing school and given the choice to remain there until completing Grade 8.
This protection should apply to all currently enrolled students, regardless of their grade, neighbourhood or where the new attendance boundaries are drawn.
Families who wish to transition to the school assigned under the new boundaries should also have that choice. No existing student should be forced to change schools solely because of a boundary change.
Why this matters
Children are more than enrolment numbers. Their mental health, emotional well-being, academic success and sense of belonging matter.
Research involving elementary-aged children has linked school mobility with declines in academic performance and classroom participation. Changing schools can also disrupt friendships, trusted relationships and established routines, potentially affecting children’s emotional well-being and sense of security.
These concerns apply to children at every age, not only those approaching Grade 8.
Grand Erie District School Board’s own Strategic Plan emphasizes “Learning, Well-Being and Belonging” for each learner. We believe these values must be reflected in decisions that directly affect children’s school communities.
The proposed boundaries may also require some children to attend schools farther from their homes, creating additional challenges with walking, transportation, drop-offs and pick-ups.
What we are asking GEDSB to do
1. Grandfather every student enrolled during the 2026–27 school year.
Every child already attending an affected Paris school during this school year, from JK through Grade 8, should be entitled to remain at that same school until completing Grade 8, even after the new boundaries take effect.
2. Give families the choice to move.
Families who prefer their child to attend the newly assigned school should be able to transition voluntarily when the new boundaries take effect.
3. Phase in new attendance boundaries.
Apply the new boundaries to incoming Kindergarten students and future new enrolment, allowing a gradual transition as existing students graduate or families choose to move.
4. Protect siblings and families.
Include sibling protections to avoid unnecessarily separating children from the same family between schools.
5. Build grandfathering into the boundary planning process.
Model and publicly share the enrolment, capacity and transportation impacts of this choice-based approach before finalizing the boundaries and transition plans.
Grandfathering must be considered from the beginning, not afterward based on whatever capacity remains.
We support growth, but we also support protecting our children.
This petition is not about opposing the new school. It is about protecting the children who already belong to their current school communities.
Creating new attendance boundaries and forcing children who are already enrolled to change schools are two separate decisions.
We believe Paris can welcome a new school while protecting the stability, well-being and educational experience of the children already attending our schools.
We urge Grand Erie District School Board and its Trustees to adopt a grandfathering policy for all students enrolled in affected Paris schools during the 2026–27 school year, allowing families to choose whether their children remain at their current school through Grade 8 or transition to their newly assigned school.
Please sign and share this petition to protect existing Paris students and give families the choice to stay.
Our community can grow without unnecessarily disrupting the children who already call these schools home.
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Petition created on October 7, 2026