New grade groupings one option in shuffle of Britannia schools

A dedicated early-years school for three- to seven-year-olds is one option for the proposed consolidation of four public schools in the Britannia area.

Saying the aging, underused schools can’t stay as it is, Edmonton Public Schools unveiled three options Monday night for parents and community members to mull.

All propose combining the three elementary schools and one junior high into two modernized or new school buildings. All propose closing Brightview school in Canora.

“I’m nervous about putting all these schools together in general, wherever it ends up, because that’s a lot of kids,” said mom-of-four Suzi Petersen.

Britannia Junior High, Youngstown elementary and Brightview elementary are so empty, it costs the district more than it receives from government to operate the buildings. The outdated Mayfield school building, which hosts a specialized early education program, is over capacity.

The first consolidation option would see full modernizations or replacements of both Britannia and Youngstown schools. Youngstown would become a dedicated early education centre for children pre-kindergarten to Grade 1, and Britannia would host Grades 2-9. Mayfield and Brightview schools would close.

A second option is to renovate or replace Youngstown school to become a pre-kindergarten to Grade 4 school, while Britannia would be remodelled or replaced to become a Grades 5-9 school. Mayfield and Brightview schools would close.

No other school in the district has these grade groupings, said Chris Wright, managing director of infrastructure for Edmonton public.

A third proposal is to renovate or replace Mayfield school and keep it as a pre-K-to-6 school, and to overhaul or rebuild Britannia to become a K-9 school. Brightview and Youngstown schools would close.

Wright emphasizes the options are ideas to prompt discussion. The district hasn’t decided how many schools should be in the area, or which, if any, will close, he said.

Petersen, who has two children attending Mayfield, prefers the option that keeps their school open.

“It means the world to me,” she said of Mayfield while bouncing her newborn son on her chest. The family moved specifically so her four children could attend the school.

Attendees also said closing Mayfield school would be a blow to families in the adjacent neighbourhood of High Park. Their public school closed in 2007.