London, Ontario ---20080118--Thames Valley District School Board. DEREK RUTTAN--Sun Media LFP ARCHIVE_unpublished.
In a recent article in the London Free Press, a Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) trustee is sounding the alarm over a costly busing policy she believes is undermining two rural high schools while straining the board’s already troubled finances.
In the early 2010s, the board began transporting Middlesex County students—who would typically attend North Middlesex District High School in Parkhill or Glencoe District High School—to Strathroy District Collegiate Institute (SDCI). The goal was to give more students access to specialized technology programs offered in Grades 11 and 12. However, Trustee Corrine Sachs now argues that the policy is being misused and is depleting enrollment at the rural schools.
North Middlesex currently has 131 students and operates at just 31% capacity. Glencoe District is only slightly better, with 211 students—just 40% capacity. Meanwhile, SDCI is nearing its limit, with roughly 1,200 students and 90% occupancy. Adding to the congestion, Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School, under the London District Catholic School Board, shares the same building.
Sachs argues that students should only be bused to Strathroy once they begin tech courses in Grades 11 or 12, rather than for all four years of high school. She estimates the busing costs at approximately $1 million annually, contributing to a transportation budget that is already $3 million over budget.
While the school board maintains that most students bused to Strathroy do, in fact, enroll in tech-focused programs, Sachs questions the long-term sustainability and fairness of the policy. The board said in a statement, “Transportation continues to be offered to all students who qualify for this option to ensure continuity of learning and relationship building.”
Despite her concerns, Sachs and other trustees currently hold no decision-making power. The board has been under provincial supervision since April, following the appointment of Paul Boniferro by the Ministry of Education. This oversight followed a damning PricewaterhouseCoopers audit that flagged signs of possible financial mismanagement. The report noted the board’s financial position fell from a $3.5 million surplus in 2020-21 to a $17.3 million deficit in 2023-24, with another $16.8 million shortfall projected for 2024-25.
The board has yet to release its proposed budget for the 2025-26 school year.
Written by: C. Soares