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Ottawa Catholic Schools - Planning & Facilities

Option Areas - School Boundaries

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When developing school attendance boundaries, the Board sometimes employs the use of option areas, a specifically designated geographical area that provides a choice of schools, in addition to their designated home school. Once a student has elected to attend a particular school in an option area, they must remain at that school for the remainder of their program, unless they move to a new address. These option areas exist to help alleviate overcrowding at area schools, and/or balance enrolment between schools; and/or phase in a proposed boundary change. 

  • Example: Kindergarten to grade 6 students residing in the Barrhaven-on-the Green area can attend their home school, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, or have the one-time option to attend St. Patrick Elementrary School. Both schools are directed to St. Joseph High School for grades 7-12.
  • Example: The designated home school for the Barrhaven-on-the-Green area is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School, but students residing in this area have the “one-time option" of attending St. Patrick Elementary School, instead of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School. If the student chose to attend St. Patrick Elementary School in junior kindergarten, they would be expected to remain at St. Patrick Elementary School until graduation in Grade 6 (unless they moved to a new address) and would not be permitted to transfer to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School in mid-stream.

School Boundary Maps

One of the responsibilities of the Planning & Facilities Department is to maintain school attendance boundaries on an annual basis. A student's designated school (or "home" school) is determined by their home address and grade level. You can get a geographical overview of the area served by your home school by looking at our detailed School Boundary Maps. You can also view General Boundary Maps, and a map which shows the location of ALL of our current and future Ottawa Catholic Schools. 

Questions regarding specific addresses should first be directed to local schools.

  View School Boundary Maps >>  

Elementary Option Areas

Kindergarten to grade 6 students residing in:

  • the Barrhaven-on-the Green area can attend their home school, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, or have the one-time option to attend St. Patrick Elementrary School. Both schools are directed to St. Joseph High School for grades 7-12.
  • the Convent Glen South area can attend their home school, Divine Infant Catholic School, or have the one-time option (based on space availability) to attend Convent Glen Catholic School. Both schools directed to St. Matthew High School for grades 7-12.
  • the Kilborn/Smyth area can attend their home school, St. Luke Ottawa School, or have the one-time option to attend McMaster Catholic School. Both schools are directed to St. Patrick's Intermediate School (grade 7-8) and St. Patrick's High School (grade 7-12). There is also a one-time option to attend Immaculata High School for grades 7-12.
  • the north part of the Davidson Heights area can attend their home school, St. Andrew School, or have the one-time option to attend Monsignor Paul Baxter Catholic School. Both schools are directed to Mother Teresa High School for grades 7-12.
  • the Winding Way area can attend their home school, St. Monica School, or have the one-time option to attend St. Andrew School. There is also a 7-12 option (see right).

Intermediate/Secondary Option Areas

Grade 7 to 12 students residing in:

  • the St. Daniel School feeder school area can attend their home school, Notre Dame Catholic High School (grade 7-12), or have the one-time option to attend either St. Paul Catholic High School (grade 7-12) or Frank Ryan Catholic Senior Elementary School (grade 7-8) and St. Pius X High School (grade 7-12).
  •  the Winding Way area can attend their home schools, Frank Ryan Catholic Senior Elementary School (grade 7-8) and St. Pius X High School (grade 9-12), or have the one time option to attend Mother Teresa High School (grade 7-12).
  • the McMaster Catholic School feeder school area can attend their home schools, St. Patrick's Intermediate (grade 7-8) and St. Patrick's High School (grade 9-12), or have the one-time option to attend Immaculata High School (grade 7-12).
  • the Pope John XXIII School feeder school area can attend their home schools, Frank Ryan Catholic Senior Elementary School (grade 7-8) and St. Pius X High School (grade 9-12), or have the one time option to attend St. Paul High School (grade 7-12).