Parents frustrated over decision to keep Elizabeth Ziegler Public School closed for remainder of school year

A Waterloo elementary school that shut down March 3 due to structural concerns and will stay closed. CTV’s Spencer Turcotte has the latest.

Elizabeth Ziegler Public School in Waterloo will now remain closed for the rest of the school year.

The Waterloo Region District School Board shared the announcement Friday on their website.

The elementary school, which was built in 1931, has been closed since March 3 due to structural concerns.

“Based on the current assessment by the structural engineering firm retained by the board, we are not able to occupy any part of the Elizabeth Ziegler PS building,” the update read.

According to the board, the City of Waterloo has been involved throughout the process and is supportive of their decision to keep the school closed.

The engineer estimated work on the façade could take months to complete, the board said.

“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 update continued.

While the structural engineering firm has not yet completed their assessment, the board thinks additional structural concerns may be uncovered.

A final report is anticipated in the coming weeks.

The board told CTV News they have been trying to resume in-person learning.

“Additional portables have already started arriving at the school, with more portables scheduled to arrive over the next few days,” the school board said. “Due to building code regulations, we are limited to 12 portables on Elizabeth Ziegler PS property. This means that not all staff and students will be able to remain at Elizabeth Ziegler PS.”

At this time it isn’t clear where all of the school’s 500 students will go.

Previous timeline

Students at Elizabeth Ziegler Public School were originally set to return for in-person learning on March 17.

Earlier this week, the school board extended the closure until the end of the month.

Families and caregivers have been asked to stop by the school on Monday to pick up a Chromebook or iPad so students can continue their studies remotely. They said the equipment is being temporary loaned out during the extended school closure.

Parents react

Parents expressed their frustration after hearing about the board’s decision to keep the elementary school closed.

“It seems fundamentally ridiculous to me that, in the middle of a school year, they’re shutting a school [until] they figure something out,” said Carol Culhane.

Culhane has an 11-year-old who goes to the school, and admitted it’s been a stressful month so far.

“We may be sending our kid to a different school,” Culhane said. “We may be doing online learning for a bit.”

For some families, remote learning isn’t an ideal solution.

“My kid doesn’t learn well that way, doesn’t enjoy it,” said Culhane. “Loves school, loves going to school, being in that environment.”

With timelines constantly changing, some parents are having a hard time keeping up with the plan for students.

“Incredibly frustrated, just not knowing what’s going on,” said Marcel Pinheiro, another parent of an Elizabeth Ziegler Public School student. “Not all parents are able to get off work to sit there to make sure their kids are doing what they’ve got to do on the computer.”

The board has set up a meeting next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. for the school community, to help address any concerns and questions.

“Further details about this meeting will be shared with Elizabeth Ziegler families on Monday,” Scott Miller, WRDSB’s director of education, said in a statement to CTV News. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our students, parents, families, caregivers and staff as we navigate this challenging situation.”