We’ve received input from the community indicating a need for greater clarity. In response, we have removed the FAQ section, housing the rest of the relevant information in the updated contingency plan, and providing supplemental information in the New JK-12 Parry Sound school section of our website.

Plan to Accommodate Students:

The plan is for students who were originally to attend JK–Grade 6 at McDougall Public School to remain at that school. All Grade 7–8 students will attend Nobel Public School.

Students in Grades 9–12 will move to remote learning to start the school year, until the existing Parry Sound High School building is ready to accommodate staff and students. This is a short-term solution until staff and students can be safely accommodated at PSHS. A remote learning plan has been established by our IT and Program teams to make sure that staff, students, and families can smoothly adjust to remote learning. A technology request form was sent to families of Grade 9-12 students in the current PSHS building on Aug. 25 to inventory and prepare devices.

Here is a link to the full contingency plan.

Programming and Preparation of Buildings:

Both McDougall and Nobel schools have been functioning as elementary schools as of June 2025. They received minor updates and accommodations to ensure that the rooms, furniture, and resources are appropriate for the programs and students they will be receiving on Sept. 2.

Transportation:

Students attending Nobel Public School for Grades 7-8 (all students who would have been attending the new Parry Sound High School site) have been added to transportation routes. For students attending McDougall Public School for grades JK to 6, all in-zone students are considered eligible and have been added to transportation. For Grades 9-12 students, when Parry Sound High School is ready to accommodate staff and students, there is no change with respect to eligibility for transportation. The transportation consortium has shared an updated memo with more details here.

PSHS Student Recreational and Social Spaces:

Supervision is already set up for the lunchroom and mini-library during the lunch hours.  Students will be permitted to eat lunch in the school hallways as is common practice in secondary schools around the province. The supervision schedule has already been adjusted to add hallway supervision during the lunch break.

Secondary students are not required to remain on campus during the lunch hour.  Some students may choose to leave campus to buy food at local establishments or go for walks around the neighbourhood. Picnic tables will also be added to the fenced outside area previously used for the intermediate play yard.  Students will have access to this safe outdoor area during the lunch break.

During the school day, students can also use the space in Rooms 272 and 270 for quiet study as they did in the former cafeteria/library combination area.

Updates related to Building Structure, Asbestos Abatement, and Occupancy

As part of the contingency planning for the new JK-12 build, the demolition of the existing Parry Sound High School (PSHS) was broken into two phases. To facilitate the construction of the temporary parking lots, bus loop and fire emergency routing for the new JK-12 school, the one-storey section of PSHS was removed as phase one. Asbestos abatement was completed only in the area subject to demolition, and demolition of that section was completed in a controlled manner to maintain the functionality of the remaining portion of PSHS. This replicated the process completed in Fall of 2021 when a portion of PSHS was demolished to prepare for construction while students and staff continued to attend the school.

Following the phase one demolition, NNDSB received a structural report from a Licensed Professional Engineer. The report states that the remaining structure has not been compromised and remains safe for student occupancy. There are a small number of items to be completed so that the existing PSHS will be ready to receive staff and students. NNDSB is making every effort to work with the Town of Parry Sound Building Department and Fire Department to address these items, as well as any new concerns they may raise. These items can be found in the Additional Information Item for Families document, which is posted here.

Contact information:

McDougall Public School: Brigid Wright, 705 -773-7971

Nobel School: Laurie Payne, 705-773-7988

Parry Sound High School: Heather Howald, 705-773-7979