Today marks the last first day of school for the students at Oxford-on-Rideau Public School. An Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) representative confirmed this September is the last intake of new students.
The announcement to close the school, located in Oxford Mills, dates back to 2016 when the ‘Building for the Future: Pupil Accommodation Review’ was released. Oxford-on-Rideau was one of 8 schools put on the chopping block.
UCDSB trustees voted to close the school in March 2017. Oxford was originally supposed to close this month, but the board pushed back the date to June 2019.
The UCDSB says space will be available at South Branch Elementary School for the students at Oxford come September 2019.
Once the school is closed, the building will be up for grabs by publicly funded bodies, such as other school boards. Following a 90-day period, if no public organization expresses interest, Oxford-on-Rideau will be put up for public sale.