Plan to shift displaced pupils draws criticism

The two schools are separated by just 1.2 kilometres.

But some Mount Royal residents and the CBE are miles apart on a plan to move students from flood-damaged Elbow Park School to portables at Earl Grey Elementary in their neighbourhood.

They’re concerned about traffic congestion, parking and pedestrian safety. They wonder why the 220 students couldn’t be moved to one of the CBE’s empty inner-city schools.

During a Tuesday night meeting with CBE officials, one critic cut to the chase.

“Is this a done deal?” asked resident Rod Love, who was former premier Ralph Klein’s right-hand man.

“Yes,” said deputy chief superintendent David Stevenson.

Stevenson noted the empty schools will be full within a year as enrolment is soaring, but the Elbow Park students will need a new home for least two years. Other sites were considered, but they lacked necessities such as access to the supernet, which Earl Grey has. With a new school year looming, the board had to move quickly, Stevenson said.

Chief superintendent Naomi Johnson said it was important to keep the students together and not have them scattered across existing schools.

Although many of the three dozen residents in attendance at Mount Royal Station agreed with Love, several expressed regret over the conflict.

Some, like former MLA Karen Kryczka, have resided in both communities or have relatives who live just down the hill in Elbow Park.

“It tears my heart apart to see two neighbouring communities, because of the flood, having dissension,” Kryszka told the gathering. “I ask you to open your hearts to the situation.”

Her thoughts were echoed by Pat Walsh, 43, who has lived in Mount Royal his entire life.

“These people have been through hell,” he said. “If traffic is a problem, we’ll work around it. . . . I don’t mind the sacrifice.”

CBE officials on hand said a traffic study would be done, and they could stagger entry times so not everyone is arriving and leaving the site at the same time. Also, a bus might be used to transport the Elbow Park students to cut down on vehicles arriving at Earl Grey.

“We’re talking about children,” said Pat Cochrane, CBE chairwoman and local trustee. “They need to go together to a new site. Some lost everything in the flood. There is emotional trauma here.”

Love said he’s still hopeful a meeting can take place this week with CBE officials, the city and reps from the two community associations to find an alternative.

“Is there another way around this? Because nobody’s happy right now,” he told the Herald.

The CBE announced last week that the Elbow Park School was showing signs of collapse. An engineering report deemed the building structurally unsafe and dangerous for anyone to enter. The board will assess whether to repair or replace the building.