Parents fight French Immersion relocation plan

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

A group of Paris parents say they are frustrated, worried, and feeling dismissed following a Grand Erie District School Board decision to relocate the high school French Immersion (FI) program from North Park Collegiate and Vocational School (NPC) to Brantford Collegiate Institute (BCI) beginning in September 2026, with no busing for Paris students.

The board has confirmed that NPC will no longer offer the program and that no new FI students will be admitted. Current Grade 9 students, most of whom started high school just weeks before the announcement, are expected to transfer if they wish to earn the FI certificate they have been working toward since kindergarten. Older students may be allowed to stay.

For Paris families, the decision represents more than a school change. It threatens the continuity of an educational pathway their children have followed for over a decade.

Parents say they learned of the change about 10 days into the school year, a timing they describe as disruptive and unfair.

“We learned about the decision just 10 days into the school year, through a short announcement, out of the blue. There was no consultation for such a huge change,” said Paris parent Celeste Bilbao-Joseph. “Our initial reaction was shock and feeling angry.” 

Another Paris parent, Melinda MacDonald, called the late timing “deeply unfair,” adding, “Families were notified… after students had already settled into their classes and routines. It left families with no opportunity to make informed choices.” 

Many FI students enrolled in the program in Senior Kindergarten, with the goal of earning a French Immersion certificate upon graduation. Parents say this relocation jeopardizes that plan.

“This change disrupts years of hard work and commitment,” said Kathleen Wilde-Padyk, whose daughter is in Grade 9. “Students shouldn’t have to choose between their mental health and finishing a program they’ve dedicated their entire school life to.” 

One Paris father, Fred M., said the reality is simple: “Our son has to change schools if he is to get his certificate. The new school was not his first choice.” 

Parents say the emotional toll is significant. “Moving her now risks interrupting that academic future and her current emotional stability,” said Bilbao-Joseph. 

The board has confirmed there will be no bus transportation for Paris students attending BCI - a decision families argue disproportionately harms rural students.

“Paris families have no busing to BCI. Period,” said Bilbao-Joseph. “How can parents possibly leave work daily to transport their kids back and forth…? It puts families’ incomes at risk.” 

MacDonald described the busing issue as “one of our biggest concerns,” saying the added travel is “simply unrealistic” and “creates inequity, not all families can afford or manage the additional costs or time demands.” 

Wilde-Padyk said the lack of transportation “adds extra financial strain, lost work time, and anxiety,” particularly in winter. 

“It’s disruptive to students who are already going through one of the most challenging times in their lives,” added Fred M., who worries about the impact on parents’ jobs. 

Parents say the change is the latest in a long string of school transitions. FI students from Paris have attended multiple schools over the past several years as programs were shuffled to manage enrolment.

“She started in Burford Elementary, was moved to Paris Central, was moved back to Burford, was moved to NP this year to start Grade 9, and now [is] pushed to move again to BCI,” said Bilbao-Joseph. “That is 5 schools in 5 consecutive years.” 

“It’s exhausting for them emotionally and socially,” said Wilde-Padyk. “They never truly belong anywhere for long.” 

MacDonald agreed the shifting has caused “destabilizing” impacts that interrupt learning and friendships. 

Families say they still have not received clear answers on why the program is being moved, how the decision was made, or what data informed it.

“We were not given a viable reason for terminating the program from NPC,” said Fred M. 

“We still don’t know the reason why this decision was made,” echoed Bilbao-Joseph. “Silence has been their answer.” 

Wilde-Padyk said parents asked for access to the board’s reports, including the Watson & Associates review, but “none of those documents have been made public.” 

Despite their frustration, families say there is a reasonable middle-ground solution.

All parents interviewed support a phased-in transition, allowing current NPC FI students to finish where they started, while new FI students begin at BCI.

“If they are to implement something like this next time, they should let the Grade 9 cohort that is already in high school continue while they phase out the program,” said Fred M. 

Wilde-Padyk called it “the fair, compassionate, and educationally sound solution.” 

Some parents also suggested a magnet-model approach, or temporary teacher sharing between schools, to prevent further upheaval. 

An online petition has gathered close to 200 signatures, and parents say their advocacy is just beginning. They want transparency, transportation solutions, and student well-being placed at the centre of any FI restructuring.

“We need support, desperately,” said Bilbao-Joseph. “We are not being listened to.” 

As Grand Erie prepares to implement the change, Paris families say they will continue to fight for their children’s stability, access, and right to finish what they started.