A proposed new secondary school in Stratford was top of mind for about 140 parents who turned out for a Public Schools Branch Board meeting on Wednesday night.
PSB board members and parents heard the results of a consultation process held with parents in the Charlottetown area over the Spring and Summer. Parents, teachers and community members were asked to provide input on how to best alleviate overcrowding and capacity issues at area schools. Due to the steadily increasing population in Charlottetown area, most intermediate and high schools are projected to be overcapacity by 2022; many are already overcapacity.
Some elementary schools are reaching capacity as well, but overcrowding is not as acute as at the secondary school level.
“What we found through the report is that, it looks like, with the exception of the two schools we’re going to talk about tonight – West Kent and Spring Park– it looks like in our elementary environment we’re able to meet the needs of our students,” said Parker Grimmer, director of the Public Schools Branch.
About 230 people responded to the online consultation and close to 45 parents attended consultation events. The resulting suggestions from parents were compiled into three proposals at the elementary school level and five at the secondary level.
The two most popular proposals at the secondary level concerned the construction of either a secondary or senior high school in Stratford. Grimmer estimated that construction of a 1,400 student secondary school, accommodating students at the intermediate and high school level, would cost close to $60 million and would take between three and five years to construct. The cost of a high school, accommodating only Grade 10-12 students was pegged at $34 million.
Other secondary school proposals involved building additions to Queen Charlotte Intermediate, Charlottetown Rural High or Colonel Grey High to accommodate hundreds more students.
Attached below are 3 proposals at the Elementary Level from a consultation by the Public Schools Branch earlier in the Spring. The consult drew 230 respondents online. #pei https://t.co/KTiEPSsvmN pic.twitter.com/bVTe8cfxTv
— Stuart Neatby (@stu_neatby) August 29, 2018
And attached are the proposals compiled from consultation suggestions related to secondary school capacity. Two proposals relate to building a secondary school in #Stratford #pei #peipoli pic.twitter.com/ba0x4W6yoo
— Stuart Neatby (@stu_neatby) August 29, 2018
The elementary school proposals involved rezoning areas either the areas of Orchard Hill/Lewis Point Park or the Queen Street Circle, currently zoned for English programming at Spring Park Elementary, to West Royalty Elementary. Another proposal called for rezoning students living on North River Road from West Kent to St. Jean Elementary.
Parents will have a chance to vote both online on these proposals both online and at meetings of the Public Schools Branch on September 5th and 6th. The Public Schools Branch will make its final decisions about area schools at a meeting on September 13th at West Kent Elementary.
Twitter.com/stu_neatby
