Capacity concerns

Public Schools Branch board of directors votes to ask government for money to expand three schools, replace another

A Charlottetown area school should be replaced and three others expanded, says the Public Schools Branch board. Directors agreed Tuesday to ask the province to fund the projects, which would see the aging Sherwood Elementary School replaced while Stratford Elementary, L.M. Montgomery Elementary and West Royalty Elementary schools would get additions.

John Cummings, director of corporate services, said the Public Schools Branch will put forward the request with its submissions for capital spending, but he didn’t know how much it would cost.

“I think that will be determined later on,” he said.

Although the board of directors approved the request to fund the changes, the provincial government still has to decide if it will be included in the next capital budget.

The proposed funding will be included along with the branch’s other capital spending requests, such as regular building maintenance.

Some of the spending would be used to address overcrowding at three of the schools. Stratford Elementary would get an addition of 14 classrooms with the reconfiguration of some grades between it and neighbouring Glen Stewart Primary.

L.M. Montgomery would get a 10-classroom addition, which would also replace two mobiles currently in use.

West Royalty would get a 10-classroom addition.

For Sherwood Elementary, the recommendation would see a new school built, possibly on the current school’s existing land and an adjacent property. Cummings said the projects weren’t taken as far as the planning stages and were only reviewed to see if they are feasible.

“Determine what can and can’t be done,” he said.

The proposed changes come after an extensive review of Public Schools Branch schools during the last year that recommended some closures and rezoning for many students.

After the review, the provincial government decided not to close any schools. Rezoning was undertaken to help ease overcrowding and reduce enrolment in some schools, including the three that could get additions. Cummings said the purpose of the proposed additions would be to deal with capacity issues at the schools. Stratford Elementary and L.M. Montgomery have been struggling with overcrowding and Cummings said the West Royalty area is expected to have more growth.

“I think this would address the immediate issue,” he said. The provincial government delivers its capital budget later this fall.