McArthur High School - Ottawa

ational schools operated by the Ottawa Board of Education. In the 1990's, attendance was steadily declining, falling from a high of 800 students in 1980 to about 390 in 1996. The school had a poor reputation due to its poor academic record and a history of violence and crime.[citation needed] Around this time, all the other vocational schools in Ottawa were closed or converted into standard high schools. Because of the expense of its specialized programs and its low enrollment, McArthur came close to being closed. In 2001, however, it was renamed and upgraded. Again, in 2010 the name was changed to Ottawa Technical Secondary School. Due to the merger of various municipalities into the new City of Ottawa, it can draw on a much larger base of students. Its enrollment has rapidly increased, and is now around 600. The school continues to serve special needs students. Increasingly, it also serves older students who have been away from school for some years.