Overview

In September 2025, there will be new school catchment boundaries for:

• There will also be a new catchment boundary for Rutherford Elementary, which will re-open in September 2025.

What does this mean for families at these schools?

Families at Randerson Ridge, McGirr, Frank J. Ney and Departure Bay Elementary whose home address is in a new catchment boundary will be required to attend their new catchment school in September 2025. Siblings of Grade 7 students will be required to move to their new catchment school in September 2026. Families at Cilaire, Uplands, and Rock City Elementary will not have to move to their new catchment school.

The exceptions include students entering Grade 7 in September 2025, siblings of students who are in Grade 7 in 2025-26, and Departure Bay students with a sibling currently attending Wellington Secondary or sibling entering Grade 8 at Wellington in September 2025.

Background

On May 15, 2024, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public School’s Board of Education approved a recommendation to reopen Rutherford Elementary in September 2025 and begin consultation with our community.

Following a consultation period in June 2024, the Board of Education voted on September 25, 2024 to approve the catchment boundary changes with the following additional adjustments in response to the feedback received during the consultation period:

• Siblings of grade 7 students at Departure Bay Elementary can remain at Departure Bay until completion of elementary school. Since Departure Bay is the only school where students’ secondary school catchment is also impacted, this will avoid students having to change cohorts to move to Frank J Ney and then change cohorts again if they attend Wellington with their sibling.
• That the current Frank J. Ney bus route serving students in the Rutherford area be reallocated to the Oakridge/Golden Oaks area to take students to Frank J. Ney. Currently, Oakridge/Golden Oaks students are out of walk distance to Departure Bay and would still be out of walk distance to Frank J. Ney.
• NLPS staff will return by the November board meeting to address the requests for minor catchment adjustments (i.e., where a catchment boundary runs down the middle of the street) with recommendation for changes as appropriate.
• NLPS staff will continue to prioritize Rutherford’s active transportation plan with the City of Nanaimo to ensure safe and walkable routes, including Hammond Bay Road.
• NLPS staff will make sure there are sufficient human and financial resources to ensure student transition is done in the most supportive way for our families.
• Bus transportation to Frank J. Ney Elementary will be provided to the Oakridge and Golden Oaks neighbourhoods.

Additional background, including Board Meeting recordings and reports can be found here.

Next steps:

• School principals will reach out to families at their school who will be required to change catchment schools by November 30, 2024.
• Families that would like to submit an out of catchment request for their child for September 2025 will be able to do so beginning in January 2025 by filling out the registration form on the district’s registration webpage and selecting the desired out of catchment school on the registration form. The deadline for out of catchment requests is March 31 for the upcoming school year. Decisions on out of catchment requests will be made before the end of the 2024-25 school year and again before the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.
• School principals will be reaching out to families new to their school to provide information about school tours, welcome and “getting to know you” events, and support resources in the new year.
• A school bus schedule for the Oakridge/Golden Oaks neighbourhood will be available closer to the start of the 2025-26 school year. Please note that the school bus to Frank J Ney Elementary will be discontinued in September 2025.

Map of September 2025 catchment boundaries

A map of new catchment boundaries for September 2025 can be found here. Please note that this map does not include minor revisions that will be finalized by the Board of Education on November 27, 2024.

The minor changes being presented to the Board of Education include:

• Somerside Place- The proposed catchment boundary divided this cul-de-sac down the middle half McGirr and half Rutherford. Recommendation: Entire Somerside Place cul-de-sac will remain in McGirr catchment.
  Action Sheet: Rutherford Re-Opening- Minor Catchment Boundary Changes Page 2

• Cosgrove Crescent- The northeast section of Cosgrove Crescent/Stafforshire Terrace was proposed to move from Departure Bay to Cilaire catchment . Recommendation: Cosgrove/Stafforshire/Oxford Pl and Glenayr Drive which are situated north
  of Lynburn Crescent as well as Doctors Road and Departure Bay Road north of Strongingtharm and Randle Road and Battersea Road return to Departure Bay Elementary catchment.