Trustees of the Avon Maitland District School Board have asked to conduct a thorough study into the possibility of expanding the board's French Immersion program.
The program is currently only available in Stratford because that's the only area where the number of interested parents justifies the program.
The last delegation to the board asking for French Immersion claimed they had over 70 parents interested but they were scattered throughout Huron County.
Superintendent of Education, Jane Morris explains staff have been asked to provide a study of French Immersion across the district, including staffing, transportation, alternatives to French Immersion and an overview of the program in Stratford. Morris adds the report will be accompanied by a draft of potential viability surveys for this fall.
Morris explains the report will be based on a similar report done in 2005, and she says that attempt fell apart - not only because of the cost of transportation - but because parents didn't want their children on the bus any longer than 45 minutes.
Morris also points out that school capacity is also an issue.
The report will not be limited to Huron County but will look at the entire Avon Maitland District and she says there are some schools that simply don't have the capacity to bring in a new program.
