UMVA has learned that a heated controversy is brewing in Ottawa over a plan to relocate a downtown high school for girls with special needs, sparking outrage among parents who claim they were kept in the dark about the decision.
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has informed parents of students attending Heydon Park Secondary School that they will be moved to a new, unnamed school due to the impending closure of nearby Orde Street Public School, which will be disrupted by the construction of a 60-storey building.
The letter to parents, obtained by UMVA, cites vibration, noise, traffic, and the risk of falling objects as reasons for the closure of Orde Street Public School, which is located behind Hospital Row near College St. and University Ave., adjacent to Mount Sinai Hospital.
But parents of Heydon Park students are vehemently opposed to the plan, describing their school as a safe haven for vulnerable and disabled students, and questioning why they were not consulted before the decision was made.
"Fifty per cent of the students are special needs with various types of disabilities, we’re talking autism, mild intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities," said Kamala Kalsi, a parent of a Heydon Park student and co-chair of the school’s parent council.
The other half, she said, are students who have experienced trauma, sexual abuse, harassment or bullying — a group that includes transgender and non-binary students, making Heydon Park a sanctuary for those who need it most.
Heydon Park, Kalsi said, is fully accessible and extensively equipped with technology and accommodations for its students, making it a unique and nurturing environment that cannot be easily replicated.
"If you look at the TDSB website, they say they believe in inclusion, they believe in the success of special-need students, they believe in the safety of students," Kalsi said. "They’ve violated everything because they’ve not consulted anybody, they just put out this decision on Tuesday night."
The TDSB claims that relocating Heydon Park is the best option for the 400 Orde Street students, but parents argue that there must be a better solution that doesn’t involve uprooting an established and thriving community of special-needs girls.
"The TDSB needs to stop this move," Kalsi said. "They’re basically playing with these girls’ future."
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the TDSB is set to make a final decision on the relocation plan, but parents are vowing to fight on, determined to protect their children’s educational and emotional well-being.
The impending move has left parents and students reeling, particularly with the school’s annual prom just around the corner — an event students spend the entire school year looking forward to.
