Millbrook Highlands Attendance Area Review

May 21, 2026 Meeting

As we continue to work toward the building of a new elementary school in Millbrook, we are seeking input on newly refined grade structure models, which are:

  • Two Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 8 schools;
  • A Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 3 school, and a Grade 4 to 8 school. 

Related potential boundary adjustments for Millbrook/South Cavan Public School and North Cavan Public School will be determined after a grade structure model is confirmed.  

View the PowerPoint presentation to learn more about grade model considerations and potential boundary adjustments.

Grade Model Considerations Chart - K-8 and Cohort Models

Consideration

Existing School K-8

New School K-8

One School Serves Kindergarten - Grade 3

One School Grades 4-8 
Academics and Social Continuity
 K-8 buildings offer students a consistent environment from early childhood through adolescence that fosters stronger relationships among students and staff, reduces transitions, and supports smoother academic and social development.

Allows each school to specialize – one in primary/early years and the other in junior/intermediate.

Keeps current friend groups together.
School Culture and Community

K-8 buildings support a unified school culture and community, where older students can mentor younger ones.

Avoids dividing the community by neighborhood boundaries and brings ‘old’ and ‘new’ Millbrook together to foster unity within the community.
Transitions
 Students will remain in one building from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Splitting students into K-3 and 4-8 buildings introduces an additional transition between Grade 3 and Grade 4.
Program Delivery
 School staff can more easily collaborate across grade levels and divisions to support learning continuity.

Less opportunities for cross-divisional program planning, collaboration and continuity for students.
Walk/Travel to School

Students in new subdivision will stay within subdivision neighbourhood development.

Existing travel routes continue for Millbrook/South Cavan PS students.

 The neighbourhood has been designed to support safe pedestrian travel within and throughout the subdivision. Physical elements (i.e., topography, sidewalk network) may impact students’ ability to walk/travel in and out of the new and existing subdivisions.  
Logistics for Families

Families starting at the new school would have all children at the same school for Kindergarten to Grade 8.

Older siblings helping younger siblings may reduce the need for child care or other support.

Families may be split between two schools, for K-3 versus Grade 4-8 with different schedules and bell times.

This may present challenges for families with older siblings who could walk or take the bus home together.
Child Care
 Child care alignment with two K-8 schools helps manage child care needs for young families across two centres, particularly for Kindergarten students, and promotes more equitable opportunities for families.

Child care access and availability at each school may not align – e.g. pre-school care at one school and before and after care at the other school.

Separating younger and older students across different schools may increase the overall need for care and could also increase need at one location versus the other when older children can’t help walk younger siblings home. There is already a significant waitlist for care.
Purpose Built Classrooms
 Includes purpose-built Kindergarten classrooms with washrooms and specialty classrooms for Intermediate students (e.g. science, music, STEM) The new school would be built as a K-8, but it would house either K-3 or Grades 4-8. This means that some Kindergarten students may not be in purpose-built Kindergarten classrooms with stand-alone washrooms, and some Intermediate students may not have as much access to specialty classrooms (e.g. science, music, STEM).
Busing
 Busing would be based on established boundaries and walk distances of K-8 models. May be additional bus traffic at both schools (more students will require transportation).

Share Your Feedback by June 14, 2026

 

Use this form to share feedback on the two grade model structures, and to provide any additional feedback on the boundary concepts.

Share Your Feedback!

Please see the November 2025 meeting content below for more information about possible boundary adjustments and other background information.

November 2025 Meeting

Highlands of Millbrook Boundary Review report – Resource Committee November 5, 2025

NOTE - Table 1 has been corrected in the above November 5, 2025 Highlands of Millbrook Boundary Review report. Study area NC-1 in the School Attendance Area Review Study previously reported 170 students as the existing enrolment (2024). It has been revised to reflect 120 students.  

This update only affects the November 5 report and does not affect the enrolment projections in the proposed boundary adjustment models. Concepts A and B already reflect 120 students in NC-1.

Background study

Background study – Map of current boundaries

Study area map

Concept A boundary

Concept A projections

Concept B boundary

Concept B projections

Dear Families (Millbrook/South Cavan Public School and North Cavan Public School),  

We continue to work toward the building of a new elementary school in Millbrook, with 481 elementary student spaces and 73 licensed child care spaces, in the ‘Highlands of Millbrook’ subdivision located at Fallis Line & County Road 10. 

Thank you to all the families and community members who attended the first school boundary meeting.  As we have shared previously, feedback from that meeting and the online submissions is posted online and  includes strong support for a JK to Grade 8 model; a number of respondents suggested an alternative model where one school serves JK to Grade 3 and the other serves Grades 4 to 8.  

Following review of this feedback, and as part of the next step in planning, we are inviting interested parents/caregivers to join us at a public meeting on:   

May 21, 2026, 6:00 p.m., Millbrook/South Cavan Public School 

At this meeting, staff will review and seek input on the newly refined grade structure models, which are: 

  1. Two Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 8 schools; 

  1. A Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 3 school, and a Grade 4 to 8 school. 

Related potential boundary adjustments for Millbrook/South Cavan Public School and North Cavan Public School would be reviewed after a grade structure model is determined.  

A Background Study, with further information on enrolment projections, and proposed boundary adjustments for the ‘Highlands of Millbrook’ neighbourhood school and other area schools, is available on the dedicated web page, and accessible from the home page of www.kprschools.ca . 

Feedback from this meeting, and from online submissions, will be reviewed before administration makes recommendations to the Board for a final decision.  

We appreciate your interest in helping us make the best possible choices for the students we serve and appreciate your continued support of local school communities.  

Sincerely, 

Jodi Sepkowski                               Glen Payne 

Superintendent of Education      Superintendent of Education

February 4, 2026 Resource Committee update

Highlands of Millbrook boundary review feedback summary

Review the presentation from the November 20, 2025 meeting.

Provide feedback using the online feedback form.

Dear Families (Millbrook/South Cavan Public School and North Cavan Public School),  

We continue to work toward the building of a new elementary school in Millbrook, with 481 elementary student spaces and 73 licensed child care spaces, in the recently named ‘Highlands of Millbrook’ subdivision located at Fallis Line & County Road 10. 

As part of the next step in planning, we have begun the process to establish boundaries and educational program for the new school. We are inviting interested parents/caregivers to join us at a public meeting to learn more about:   

  1. the establishment of school boundaries and grade structure for the new school.  

Two grade structure models – Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 6 and JK to Grade 8 – have been prepared for consideration and feedback. 

  1. related potential boundary adjustments for Millbrook/South Cavan Public School and North Cavan Public School. 

Two boundary adjustment models have been prepared for consideration and feedback.  

A Background Study, with further information on enrolment projections, and proposed boundary adjustments for the ‘Highlands of Millbrook’ neighbourhood school and other area schools, is available on the dedicated web page, and accessible from the home page of www.kprschools.ca . 

We will be reviewing this information for parents/caregivers and seeking input on the proposed adjustments at the following meeting: 

November 20, 2025, 6:00 p.m., Millbrook/South Cavan Public School 

Feedback from this meeting, and from online submissions, will be reviewed and brought to the Board prior to a second community meeting on February 26, 2026.   

The Question and Answers section of the website contains further information on the consultation process.  

After consultation with parents/caregivers and community, it is expected that administration will make recommendations to the Board for a final decision by the end of the 2025/2026 school year. The boundary changes being proposed would take effect, with the opening of the new school, which is currently anticipated to be Fall 2027.   

We appreciate your interest in helping us make the best possible choices for the students we serve and appreciate your continued support of local school communities.  

Sincerely, 

Jodi Sepkowski
Superintendent of Education 

Questions and Answers

As part of planning and construction of the new Highlands of Millbrook neighbourhood school, administration is moving forward with establishing boundaries for eligible students to attend. The school is an important step in addressing enrolment pressures in schools within the area. 

School board administration has been reviewing the capacity and space limitations within Millbrook/South Cavan Public School and North Cavan Public School and considering how the new school can address the current and projected enrolment pressures.  

To create balanced, long-term enrolment sustainability for all three schools in the area, administration is considering boundary and school program adjustments. 

In the establishment of school boundaries for the new school, two boundary adjustment models have been prepared for consideration and feedback. Administration has considered options that would result in changes to the existing boundaries of both:  

  • Millbrook/South Cavan Public School, and  

  • North Cavan Public School 

Two grade structure models – Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 6 and JK to Grade 8 – were initially prepared for consideration and feedback. 

Review of feedback from the November 2025 meeting indicated strong support for a JK-Grade 8 model, with some families requesting consideration of a cohort model (JK-Grade 3 at one school and Grade 4-8 at another).

The May 2026 meeting launched consideration of a JK to Grade 8 model versus a cohort model.

All meeting information packages are available on this dedicated page of the website, and there will be an online opportunity for parents to share their thoughts and comments.  

After consultation with parents/caregivers and community, it is expected that administration will make recommendations to the Board for a final decision in the fall of 2026. 

The boundary changes being proposed would take effect with the opening of the new school, which is anticipated to be Fall 2027.

Administration will begin by reviewing the feedback and information provided by parents/caregivers and community through the consultation process.  

When evaluating accommodation solutions, we are guided by the following principles:

•providing high quality learning for all students,
•developing long-term sustainable plans that balance student numbers among schools,
•maintaining walkable routes to school, and
•streamlining transportation services.

 

We welcome all members of the community to take part in this process. If you would like to learn more about the consultation process and related issues, please contact your school principal or Jodi Sepkowski, Superintendent of Education, 705-742-9773 Extension 2061. 

Contact Us

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
1994 Fisher Drive
Peterborough, ON K9J 6X6

Phone: 705-742-9773
Toll Free: 1-877-741-4577
Fax: 705-742-7801
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