Some students set to return to Waterloo school next month, others moving to new locations

Students pick up Chromebooks at Elizabeth Ziegler Public School in Waterloo on March 17, 2025. (Heather Senoran/CTV News)

Weeks after a Waterloo, Ont. school closed its doors due to structural concerns, students are finding out where they will be spending the rest of their school year.

Last week, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) announced Elizabeth Ziegler Public School would remain closed for the rest of the year.

On Monday, some students returned to the building, not to resume their studies after March Break, but to pick up Chromebooks and iPads for remote learning. Families were asked to pick up electronic devices between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. The school board’s website said they would be sorted by last name, with A to L available in Portable 2 and M to Z at Portable 3.

Remote learning was set to start the next day.

“Teachers will teach synchronously and will be available to students during regular school hours through their Google Classrooms,” the school board said.

In an update Monday afternoon, the school board announced plans for a return to in-person learning. While some students will be welcomed back the Moore Avenue property, they won’t be going back inside the building.

The school board said the school is getting seven new portables. Two washroom and two office trailers will also be added to the location.

English speaking students in the four full-day Kindergarten classes, as well as eight classes between Grade 1 through Grade 6 and the Extended Day Program, will be moving into the portables.

All nine French Immersion classes, meanwhile, will be moving to Sandowne Public School in an attempt to keep both students and staff together.

“If the classes had been split differently, the school timetable would have needed revising, causing changes to educator assignments. As a result, this approach is the most seamless option available,” a release from the school board said.

The release goes on to say the French Immersion classes will be operating on a ‘school within a school’ model, and students and staff will still be considered part of the Elizabeth Ziegler community. Two portables will also be added to Sandowne for students and the additional staff needed during the transition.

The school board said French Immersion students will be bused from Elizabeth Ziegler to Sandowne in the morning, and then be bused back at the end of the day.

English and French immersion students are expected to return for in-person learning on April 1.

Students in the Congregated Alternative Continuum of Education (ACE) program will be moving to JW Gerth Public School, while enrichment program students will be moving to Brigadoon Public School. Students in both those program will be bused from their homes to the new schools.

They are expected to return for in-person learning as early as March 21.

Structural concerns

Elizabeth Ziegler Public School, built in 1931, closed on March 3 due to safety concerns.

The school board then retained a structural engineering firm to investigate the damage to the façade. They determine that no one should occupy any part of the building.

“This is a result of the mechanical and electrical connections that run throughout the building, as well as the large pieces of precast concrete and monuments that need to be carefully removed during the repair process,” the board explained.

While the structural assessment is not fully complete, the board thinks the engineers will uncover additional structural concerns.

A final report is anticipated in the coming weeks.

Next steps

The board said it continues to plan for the return of in-person learning.

“Additional portables have already started arriving at the school, with more portables scheduled to arrive over the next few days,” they explained.

More than 500 students currently attend Elizabeth Ziegler Public School but only 12 portables are allowed on the property, due to building code regulations.

It is unclear where the remaining students and staff will go once those portables are full.

A community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., with the location set to be shared Monday.

CTV’s Heather Senoran will have an update from the WRDSB’s director of education and this story will be updated.