Why A New Public High School for

Stittsville is Needed NOW!

Jan 5, 2015 - An unpleasant reminder of why NOT having a public high school in Stittsville sucks! Great start to "back to school" this morning..... after waiting out in the -24 temp for an hour my sons bus didn't show up (apparently there were mechanical difficulties). So now I have to drive him to school.... which is oh so conveniently located 30 minutes away... in the opposite direction from work. Here's hoping 2015 brings us the public high school we need in Stittsville! - Julia

I can tell you that I'm a South Carleton grad ('94), and at least partly because of this, I would prefer my kids not have to go to Richmond. This will probably mean us switching boards when the time comes for the kids to move on to high school. So much of my high school days were spent busing back and forth to school, driving around Stittsville, up Fernbank, down Flewellyn, and back up Fallowfield, that it's just not something I would want my kids to do (I think we spent close to 2 hours daily on the bus). Also, at the time, kids at the school came from Manotick, Greely, Kemptville, North Gower, Munster, Richmond and Stittsville. As a result, my parents spent many hours driving us around town to dances, friends houses, etc. Had there been another option I would have chosen not to attend [South Carleton]. A few years earlier, kids from Stittsville were bused to Kanata (as my older brother was) for high school, but once those schools got too crowded (I think in about 1987?) kids were moved out to Richmond. I don't think that was ever meant to be the long term solution it seemed to become. At the rate that new homes seem to be springing up all over Stittsville, it's impossible for me to believe that a public high school in Stittsville wouldn't be the most logical solution. - Lorrie

My neighbour has a daughter at [Stittsville Public School] but her high school daughter goes to Sacred Heart because it is closer than South Carleton. - Cathy

We are sending our child to Sacred Heart after grade six because of its location in Stittsville. We feel Richmond is too far. - Julie

My two sons are in grade 3 and 5 currently at Westwind Public School. We already have issues with taking the school bus because of activities starting so early that I must pick up the children at school. Recently, when driving past Scared Heart High School, I asked if they would like to go to school there. They thought they WOULD be, but I informed them that they would have to go to school out by their Aunt's house in Richmond. They were so surprised and the older one immediately said, “I want to go to this school. How will I get home on time if I get a job after school!?” (he is young but this is important to him) My younger son was more concerned about how far away from home it was as he has some medical issues and I frequently have had to go to the school to handle things that occur. They also said, “we can walk to this school mom.” I am highly leaning toward making the switch. It makes most sense in so many ways. 20 km away? Really? It already takes 45 mins for my children to get home from school on a bus that is 3 min away; I can't imagine how many hours a day they will spend on a bus. - Sandra Luty

My daughter is currently going to [Goulbourn Middle School] and is pretty happy, [but] she wants to attend Sacred Heart in grade 9 because of the friends attending. She played softball this year with 5 other girls in the public school board who have all chosen to switch over to Sacred Heart. She struggled with the decision to go [to GMS] but I did not. I am glad: from what I have heard it's like being in high school at 12??? I don't want to send her as the overcrowding [at Sacred Heart] is unbelievable. My son is in grade 5 at [Stittsville Public School] and will also stay in the Public system. I am a true believer in keeping them [there] as I don't want to contribute to the problem of not getting the funding because the enrollment is down [at South Carleton]. - Lindsay

I attended a high school quite far from my home community. As a result, I didn't participate in any extra-curricular activities. If there's no public high school in Stittsville by the time my oldest is ready, we'll likely send her to Sacred Heart. And I will fight for an exemption from religious studies. - Erin

We would like to share our family's story about our decision to send our two daughters to Sacred Heart. Our daughters are now in grades 4 and 6 at [Stittsville Public School]. For years, we had heard and hoped that a public high school would be built in Stittsville. Surely, we thought, that by the time our girls would be ready to attend high school, there would be one in our own town for them to attend. Nope. Driving to the high school in Richmond takes us twenty minutes at least. Factoring in bus stops and weather, a one way bus ride to school could take 30 to 40 minutes minimum. Our daughters can walk or ride their bikes to school in 10 minutes to Sacred Heart on a nature trail through woods vs. sitting on a bus for an hour a day. To us, this is a quality of life concern. Wouldn't you rather walk to school through woods, over a creek, and hear birds than sit on a bus for an hour a day, five days a week? Also, we're considering after school activities, opportunities for part time work, and the times where we may need to pick them up for appointments. It just doesn't make sense to us why, for six years, we would commit to the inconvenience and inevitable stress the distance to the high school in Richmond would create for our entire family. Sacred Heart has an excellent reputation in our community for programming, technology, and school environment/spirit. While we are disheartened about the politics and lack of movement surrounding a public high school in Stittsville, we do not hesitate to send our daughters to Sacred Heart. We hope this offers some insight into our decision. We believe our position is not unique. We are confident there are many other Stittsville families with similar stories. - Monica

We will be doing [Goulbourn Middle School] then [South Carleton] as well. I'm wondering how data is captured to reflect the need for new high schools. If enrollment gets high for Sacred [Heart], a great deal of which is from Public students, then does it just help make the case for a new Catholic school? Are there stats that capture those who enroll at Sacred [Heart], not because they choose Catholic but because of proximity only? - Carrie

I [am] definitely for a public high school in Stittsville, as I too would change boards to be able to keep my sons in Stittsville. The problem to me that I see having already one child done high school and 2 in early elementary and one on his way next year.... I see a problem for students that may have or need or want after school jobs or co-ops with transportation. If kids want or need to work after school or have these co-ops they won't be able to get to and from the schools easily. The buses are not quick and regular in the Fernbank areas nor to South [Carleton]... Myself I would have liked to see a High school in the heart of Stittsville right at the Hazeldean/Stittsville Main St. area but on north side of street where there is spacious 22 acres to build football fields and soccer fields and such for the students and they can walk to all the jobs that they may be working at or do their co-op. Also it would be on major routes for buses and simple for parents that need to drop off etc... there is commercial around this area and simple to get in and out for buses at a new school. Also with new subdivisions all around that property and new one to start behind. It would be wonderful to see a simpler route for parent/kids using this piece in the heart of Stittsville instead of at the backside of Stittsville where there is already South [Carleton] in that area.... I have been resident of this area since I was a child and this is my opinion of meeting the needs and location for both involved student/school staff. - Tina

Hard to say [what we will do]. My kids are grade 1 & 2 now, so hopefully this is resolved by then. I really do not want to send them to Richmond for school, but I'm equally against sending them to a religious school. So I guess we are kind of stuck. - Tracie

I don't have anything against [South Carleton] in Richmond but would prefer not to have to drive there. I know that 11 minutes doesn't sound like a long drive, but keep in mind, it's there and back and if the kids miss the bus (which occasionally happens) or have appointments, it's a drive in the wrong direction compared with dropping them off down the road here in Stittsville on the way to work. Maybe not everyone feels that way, but I'd much rather have my kids in Stittsville than Richmond. I have nothing against Richmond but our community is Stittsville and I'd simply rather have them stay here. - Cathy

We are seriously considering all options for high school including switching to the Catholic board, even though we are not Catholic nor do I wish to have my kids be educated in a Catholic school. FYI- the kids in grade 3 in Stittsville Public are already talking about where they will go to high school and my daughter openly talks about her friends that will be switching to the Catholic school board. My daughter did day to me "mommy I don't want to go to Catholic school" which tells me they have been having conversations among friends (as I have never talked to her about it before this weekend). - Karrie

Most likely with having three kids who will all be at different schools for at least one year... I'm seriously considering Sacred Heart because I want them to be able to participate in extra-curriculars and it's just too far to be driving three kids all around this end of the city. - Natasha My son currently in grade 5 at [Stittsville Public School] and will go to Sacred Heart or Holy Trinity by my parents' house. Richmond is way too far. - Jen

We moved to Stittsville before my son started grade one and we were sure this wouldn't be an issue. He is now in grade 7 at [Goulbourn Middle School] and loves it, but will be going to Sacred [Heart]. While it bothers me on principle that by the time he is in high school there will be both a Catholic and a French Catholic high school but no public one, I won't send him on a bus that leaves home at 7:20 with limited opportunities for extra-curriculars when he can leave home at 8 and walk to school. - Susan

Mine will go to Sacred [Heart] unfortunately (not that Sacred us a bad school at all) because with two working parents they need to be able to get to and from school independently should they want to join an after school activity or need to stay late. - Sonia

We moved to Stittsville when my daughter started grade 2 at [Stittsville Public School] thinking there will be a [High School] by the time she starts. She is now in grade 9 at [South Carleton] - very frustrating that she is on the bus for so long before and after school. It's a pain for any before and after school activities. We still have children in grade 5 and grade 2. We also looked into Sacred Heart but all her friends were going to [South Carleton]. - Vanessa

I have three kids at A. Lorne [Cassidy elementary school] - ages 6, 8 and 10 - and they will be switched to Sacred [Heart] if [there’s] no public high school. My kids involve themselves and are in sports so there is no way I am driving to Richmond for their before and after school activities to drop off and pick up. - Kim