Our Name, Our Story: Is it Time for a Change?

Dec. 9, 2024

We are preparing to embark on the renewal of our Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) in 2025. This process will provide students, staff, families, and communities with the opportunity to offer feedback and help shape the Board’s roadmap for the next several years and beyond.

As we get set to renew our MYSP, we’re taking a fresh look at how well our board’s name reflects who we are and the communities we serve now and into the future. We believe it’s time to ask a big question:

Does our name—Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board—represent us effectively?

Here’s why we think it may be time for a change:

• It’s too long and complicated. At 23 syllables, ours is the longest school board name in Ontario. Its length presents challenges. It’s hard to say. It’s hard to remember. It can be challenging for our communities to find and connect with us.
• It’s not inclusive. The name doesn’t acknowledge all the communities we serve, such as the City of Kawartha Lakes. Victoria County was dissolved in 2001.
• It’s not unifying: A product of amalgamation, our name is a list of jurisdictions and lacks a unifying theme that ties together the communities we serve.
• It’s time for a refresh: Our name and logo haven’t been refreshed in more than 25 years. We’d like to refresh our branding to better reflect the dynamic, diverse communities we serve and the vibrancy of our Catholic schools.

We need your feedback to decide if now is the right time to address this issue as part of our next MYSP. Your input will help us weigh community interest against financial and practical considerations.

For more information, and to take our survey, go here.