During the final evening of a series of Public Schools Branch consultations on Thursday night, the suggestion of building a new school in Stratford loomed large.
The consultations have been held over three nights this week, focusing on schools in the Charlottetown area. Thursday’s meeting, which put the spotlight on issues at intermediate schools, was held at Charlottetown Rural High School.
Parents and teachers were offered a breakdown of school population projections and were asked to identify possible solutions.
The Public Schools Branch is in the midst of a review focusing on Charlottetown Rural High School, Colonel Gray High School, Queen Charlotte Intermediate, Birchwood Intermediate, Spring Park Elementary and West Kent Elementary.
All of these schools, with the exception of Birchwood, are projected to see their student population exceed functional capacity within three to five years.
Birchwood could reach its functional capacity in six years, according to data provided by the research firm Baragar.
Functional capacity is defined as the optimum number of learners in a building.
The overcrowding has reflected population changes in Charlottetown. The city has seen its population jump from 34,562 residents in 2011 to 36,094 residents in 2016. Similarly, Stratford has seen its population rise by over a thousand residents in the same time period, from 8,574 to 9,706 in 2016.
Lorena Livingstone-Dunne has one daughter attending Birchwood Intermediate school and one attending Stratford elementary.
During Thursday night’s discussion, she said the growth in student population reflects a need for either an intermediary or a high school in Stratford.
“The overcrowding is because of Stratford students. If you pull them out, that allows the Charlottetown area – West Royalty, East Royalty, all of those areas – three junior highs and two highs schools to work with. And that eliminates all overcrowding issues within Charlottetown,” she said.
Several other parents at Thursday evening’s consultation made the same suggestion.
Peggy Roach, a parent with one West Kent student and another Queen Charlotte student, felt that other approaches were more realistic.
"I disagree that we need a new school,” Roach said.
“If we're looking at strictly junior high, then I believe that we have enough capacity within the three junior highs that are currently in existence.”
Roach said construction of a new intermediate school in Stratford would be costly and would take several years to complete. She said small additions to existing schools or re-zoning and re-allocation would be a better option.
Over the course of the week, other parents have suggested adding capacity to existing schools, changing school zones and amalgamating some high school and intermediate schools.
Recommendations gathered during this week’s consultation meetings will form the basis for a report that will be presented to the board of the Public Schools Branch.
Until July 20, parents and teachers can still submit suggestions and feedback through an online survey on the branch’s website at edu.princeedwardisland.ca/psb.
A report summarizing these consultations will be presented to the board of the Public Schools Branch in August. The board will present its recommendations in the fall.
No school closures are being considered as part of the review.
Projected enrolment at select Charlottetown area schools
2018 2022
Birchwood Intermediate 493 595
Charlottetown Rural 997 1,165
Colonel Gray 881 1,116
Queen Charlotte 620 730
Spring Park 546 514
West Kent 318 420
