March 25th, 2025

Thank you for your ongoing partnership, support and the feedback you have provided as we work together to best meet the needs of Elizabeth Ziegler students, families, staff, and community. The feedback from families and staff continues to play an important role in helping to determine next steps for the Elizabeth Ziegler school community.

In this message, we will share:

  • An update about the status of the Elizabeth Ziegler PS building
  • Planning that is underway for the 2025-26 school year

Update on the Elizabeth Ziegler PS Building

Interim Report

At this time we have not received a final report as we continue to look at all the options and are thankful for the suggestions made at the recent community meeting. The interim report provides the necessary information that will support the planning for the 2025-26 school year.

Unfortunately, the interim report does make it clear that we will not be able to occupy Elizabeth Ziegler Public School for the 2025-26 school year. This is not the news we had hoped to share with students, families, and staff, yet we would like to reaffirm our commitment to supporting the achievement and well-being of all students throughout this process.

We have not yet received a final report from the structural engineering firm, and will provide additional information when it is available. We have made a determination about the 2025-26 school year based on the information known to date in the interim report and know the final report will not change this outcome.

Further Consultation for Engineering Assessment

As we move forward with the assessment of the structure of the Elizabeth Ziegler PS building, we are exploring all possible options to ensure that students and staff have a safe and welcoming building to return to in-person learning.

As a next step and in part from the feedback from the recent community meeting, further consultation and collaboration will take place between the current structural engineering firm, an architect and additional consulting engineer. We believe these measures will help to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the findings and allow us to assess all available options as we move forward. At this time we expect a final report in 4 to 6 weeks.

Planning for the 2025-26 School Year

Now that we know that Elizabeth Ziegler PS students and staff will not be able to return to the school next school year, we have begun exploring possible options. Throughout this process, we are continuing to prioritize:

  • Keeping the Elizabeth Ziegler School Community together
  • Providing clarity and certainty for students, families, and staff

Decision making will be guided by the capacity of available sites and program requirements.

We will provide a further update about next steps on or before Tuesday, April 1, 2025. At that time, our hope is that we will be able to share details regarding the options available to families, students and staff for the 2025-26 school year.

Questions?

We’ve updated the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Closure of Elizabeth Ziegler PS.