Waterloo's Elizabeth Ziegler Public School closed Tuesday and Wednesday over safety concerns
Elizabeth Ziegler Public School in Waterloo, Ont., will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday after safety concerns were raised about the building's facade.
The Waterloo Region District School Board says facility services staff and contractors will be at the school to conduct structural testing. The exact concerns with the facade of the school were not released.
Before and after school programs run at the school are also closed.
"The decision to close the Elizabeth Ziegler building was made out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of students and staff," the board said in a statement. "During this closure, families are asked not to access the school building or the property."
Students will move to remote learning for the next two days.
"We know that a school closure can be disruptive for students and families. Staff and contractors are working to open the school safely and as quickly as possible," the board said.
The school's building was constructed in 1931 and is an example of the Gothic Revival style. A primary classroom wing was added to the school in 1954 and a gym was built in 1986. Further renovations to the Kindergarten wing were made in 2013.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
27-05-2025
- CTV News
Suspect arrested while breaking into vehicles near Waterloo school
Edna Staebler Public School in Waterloo, Ont. on May 27, 2025. (Dave Pettitt/CTV News) Two people were seen breaking into vehicles Tuesday morning in Waterloo. Waterloo Regional Police said the suspects, who both had bicycles, were in the area of Erb Street West and Ira Needles Boulevard around 7:40 a.m. Ten minutes later, one of them had been taken into custody. 'The subject was assaultive during the arrest and required additional restraint by officers,' WRPS said in an email to CTV News. Since the arrest happened so close to Edna Staebler Public School, parents were also alerted to the increased police presence in the area. 'Some of the students might have witnessed what happened, so we wanted to let the community know that, if needed, there is support,' a representative for the Waterloo Region District School Board explained CTV News. No word yet on any charges laid or the second suspect reported by witnesses.
CBC
14-03-2025
- CBC
Waterloo's Elizabeth Ziegler Public School closed for the rest of the year
Waterloo's Elizabeth Ziegler Public School is closing down for the rest of the year after an assessment by a structural engineering firm said work to make the building safe enough for learning would take months to complete. The school originally shut down on March 4 after safety concerns were raised about the building's facade. The closure was extended twice, with students expected to go back on April 1. On Friday, Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) sent out a release announcing the full closure. "Based on the current assessment by the structural engineering firm retained by the board, we are not able to occupy any part of the Elizabeth Ziegler PS building," the release said. "Addressing these concerns will take time and the engineers estimate this work could take months to complete. This is a result of the mechanical and electrical connections that run throughout the building, as well as the large pieces of precast concrete and monuments that need to be carefully removed during the repair process," the release continued. In the meantime, students and families are being asked to pick up a Chromebook or iPad at the school on Monday to help to continue learning remotely. The board said it is adding additional portables that have "already started arriving at the school, with more portables scheduled to arrive over the next few days." However, only 12 portables are allowed on the property, which will not accommodate the more than 500 Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 students and the staff who attend the school. "Alternative spaces that support the needs of students in surrounding public schools are limited and a thorough planning process is on-going to accommodate all students in-person," the release said. The plan remains to have students return to in-person learning on April 1, but it's unclear where exactly they'll be.
CBC
12-03-2025
- CBC
More than 50 public schools in Waterloo region may need repair, FAO report says
A report from the Financial Accountability Office (FAO) in Ontario shows that more than 50 public schools in Waterloo region are below a state of good repair. This news comes as Elizabeth Ziegler Public School in Waterloo is set to be closed for most of March over safety concerns about the building's facade. In the report from December 2024, the FAO revealed 55 out of 123 public schools under the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) are below a "state of good repair" (SOGR). According to the report, a building that is considered to be below SOGR "either requires rehabilitation (repairs) or should be replaced with a new school (rebuilt)." This is determined using a "condition index" developed by the Ministry of Infrastructure, which says: A building is in a state of good repair if it has a condition index of 80 and above. A building with an index below 80 but above 20 needs to be repaired. A building with an index under 20 needs to be rebuilt. The report also said seven out of 48 schools overseen by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) fall below SOGR. In an emailed statement, Bill Lemon, associate director of business services at WRDSB, told CBC News "this [report's] data comes from the School Facility Condition Assessment Program, which was paused during the pandemic and does not reflect current school conditions." "The next assessment cycle for WRDSB will begin next year, with approximately 25-30 schools evaluated annually," he said. The FAO report said that every year, about 20 per cent of schools are assessed. For WRDSB, that means 24.6 schools should be assessed per year — a number that aligns with what Lemon said in the email statement. Lemon said the WRDSB is "projected to receive $10.4M through the School Renewal Allocation (SRA)." "These funds are essential for replacing critical infrastructure that has reached end-of-life, including windows, roofing, flooring, and HVAC systems, as well as enhancing accessibility across our facilities," he said. Lemon also said WRDSB will receive a $33-million allocation from the Ministry of Education via the School Condition Improvement (SCI) Grant for 2024-2025, which should allow the school board to "address backlogged priority projects and bring older schools up to current standards." Lemon said the WRDSB has invested more than $225 million in upgrading school infrastructure across the district over the past five years. "While funding limitations mean not all prioritized projects can be completed immediately, we continue to make substantial progress." Elizabeth Ziegler Public School reopening uncertain Early last week, WRDSB shut down Elizabeth Ziegler Public School after safety concerns were raised about the building's facade. The initial announcement on March 3 said the school will be closed on March 4 and 5 to allow WRDSB faculty services staff and contractors to conduct structural testing. The closure was later extended to the rest of the week. On Tuesday, a news release from WRDSB said the closure will be extended up to March 28. The release also said students will be provided learning devices, which they can pick up at the school this coming Monday. Device pick up times will be announced on or before March 14. "Staff and contractors continue to work tirelessly in an effort to open the school as quickly as possible," the release said. "Teachers will teach synchronously and will be available to students during the regular school day hours on their Google classrooms." CBC K-W reached out to WRDSB to ask if Elizabeth Ziegler Public School is among those in the region considered to be below SOGR. WRDSB did not address the question in the email response. The FAO report indicates that as of March 31, 2024, public schools in Waterloo region face an infrastructure backlog of $178 million, and an additional $401 million is needed to maintain school buildings above SOGR. The total 10-year cost to clear infrastructure backlogs and keep Waterloo region public schools in SOGR amounts to $579 million. Catholic schools in Waterloo region face a much smaller infrastructure backlog of $5 million, as well as an additional $86 million to maintain buildings above SOGR, according to the report. The total 10-year cost to clear infrastructure backlogs and keep WCDSB schools in SOGR sits at $91 million. The FAO report said with the backlog plus the cost of keeping schools in a state of good repair estimated to be $21.7 million, and the 2024 budget being only $12.5 million, the number of schools below SOGR for the entirety of Ontario is expected to get worse. "If funded at this level, the FAO estimates that after 10 years, the percentage of school buildings that are not in a state of good repair would increase from 37.4 per cent in 2023-24 to 74.6 per cent in 2033-34," the report said.
