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Thames Valley District School Board

Coordinates: 42°59′47″N 81°12′24″W / 42.9965°N 81.2067°W / 42.9965; -81.2067
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Thames Valley District School Board
TVDSB
Location
Greater London and all of Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford Counties
Canada
Coordinates42°59′47″N 81°12′24″W / 42.9965°N 81.2067°W / 42.9965; -81.2067
District information
MottoWe build each student's tomorrow, every day.
Schools184, 30 secondary, 154 elementary
BudgetCA $1.1 billion [1]
Students and staff
Students80k[2]
Other information
Chair of the BoardBeth Mai
Vice-chair of the BoardDave Cripps
Director of EducationMark Fisher
Elected trustees15: 6 representing London; 2 each for Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford; 1 Indigenous representative; 3 non-voting student trustees[3]).
Websitewww.tvdsb.ca

The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB; known as English-language Public District School Board No. 11 prior to 1999[4]) is a public school board in southwestern Ontario, Canada.

The TVDSB serves an area over 7,000 square kilometres which includes urban, suburban and rural communities. It spans three counties and includes the cities of London, St. Thomas, and Woodstock, plus the towns of Ingersoll, Tillsonburg, and Strathroy-Caradoc, as well as several smaller towns and villages.

As of 2006, the Board administered 184 schools (154 elementary and 30 secondary schools). They also provide alternative education programs for approximately 40,000 students through adult day school, continuing education, general interest, night school and summer school courses.

History

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It was created on January 1, 1998, by the amalgamation of the Elgin County Board of Education, The Board of Education for the City of London, Middlesex County Board of Education, and Oxford County Board of Education.

Four future elementary schools in southeast London, southwest London, northwest London, west London, Lucan, Woodstock, and Belmont are currently under construction or are in planning stages.[5][6][7] Extensions and renovations to Eagle Heights are currently underway.[8][9]

Controversies

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In 2021, the Thames Valley District School Board was named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit related to the sexually inappropriate behaviour of one of its teachers, Ryan Jarvis.[10] Jarvis filmed at least 27 teenage students with a spy camera while he was an English teacher at H. B. Beal Secondary School. He used a camera concealed in a pen to film his female students' breasts. Jarvis became the first person in Canada to serve jail time for a voyeurism conviction. Jarvis's teaching license was revoked following his conviction.[11] The Thames Valley District School Board was the setting of R v. Jarvis, 2019 SCC 10[12] a precedent-setting case of voyeurism in Canada.[13]

In 2021, Lawrence Thompson, a custodian at a TVDSB elementary school, was found guilty of four counts of kidnapping and sexual assault of a four-year-old girl.[14] During the investigation in 2018, the school board indicated it would fully cooperate with police and local law enforcement authorities. However, the TVDSB declined to provide a list of schools that the janitor previously worked at.[15]

In 2024, the TVDSB came under controversy for a spending scandal involving its top executives and officials regarding a $40,000 paid trip to a Toronto Blue Jays game. Following the controversy, the provincial government will audit the board's finances and director of education Mark Fisher has been put under paid leave.[16]

Trustees

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Current trustees for the 2022-2026 term[a]:[17]

  • Chair - Beth Mai
  • Vice Chair - Dave Cripps
Trustee Wards City
Sheri Polhill 1, 11, 12, 14 London
Lori-Ann Pizzolato 1, 11, 12, 14 London
Marianne Larsen 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 London
Leroy Osbourne 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 London
Beth Mai 7, 8, 9, 10, 13 London
Sherri Moore 7, 8, 9, 10, 13 London
Dave Cripps Oxford County Oxford County
Leeanne Hopkins Oxford County Oxford County
Arlene Morell Middlesex County Middlesex County
Christian Sachs Middlesex County Middlesex County
Meagan Ruddock Elgin County Elgin County
Bruce Smith Elgin County Elgin County
Carol Antone All First Nations N/A
Shivani Vimal All Elgin, Middlesex, and Oxford County Students (non-voting) N/A
Emma Park All London Students (non-voting) N/A
Lorissa Westlake All Indigenous Students (non-voting) N/A

List of schools

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The following is a list of the schools administered by the TVDSB and their towns/city:

Public schools

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Secondary schools

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Student trustees are elected for a 1 year term.

References

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  1. ^ "TVDSB". Tvdsb.ca. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "About Us". Thames Valley District School Board. June 2, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  3. ^ "Student Trustees". November 17, 2021.
  4. ^ "Ontario Regulation 107/08". e-Laws. Government of Ontario. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  5. ^ https://www.tvdsb.ca/en/our-board/capital-projects.aspx
  6. ^ "Plans for two new London-area schools cause for relief in Summerside | CBC News".
  7. ^ "Province approves construction of new $8.7M elementary school in Belmont, Ont. - London | Globalnews.ca".
  8. ^ "$7.5M addition to Tweedsmuir school moves step closer".
  9. ^ "New TVDSB school announced for southwest London, Ont. at least 4 years away". CBC. January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  10. ^ Butler, Colin (April 23, 2021). "Ex-teacher who filmed students with spy pen, Ontario school board named in $200K civil suit". CBC News. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  11. ^ "| Ontario College of Teachers". apps.oct.ca. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  12. ^ Canada, Supreme Court of (January 1, 2001). "Supreme Court of Canada - SCC Case Information - Summary - 37833". www.scc-csc.ca. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  13. ^ Canadian Criminal Law
  14. ^ Paparella, Nick (May 10, 2021). "Former school custodian convicted of kidnapping, sexual assault". London. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  15. ^ "Lawyer, psychologist to school board: Release charged janitor's work history". lfpress. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  16. ^ https://globalnews.ca/news/10754076/tvdsb-blue-jays-retreat/
  17. ^ "Meet Your Trustee". www.peelschools.org. PDSB. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  18. ^ Thames Valley Alternative Secondary School