Where to put the kids during renovations to schools?
Process of fixing existing buildings creates domino effect that ricochets through system
As Quebec schoolchildren return to class this week, the contrast between their new backpacks and shiny shoes versus their old, overcrowded, rundown, sometimes crumbling schools could not be more stark.
Much of the school infrastructure in Quebec — and especially Montreal — is in a sad state of repair. On top of that, many schools are bursting at the seams because of climbing enrolment, plus the rollout of pre-kindergarten programs for four-year-olds. This has long been a problem, but a government report this year underscored just how serious: 55 per cent of the province’s primary schools are in poor or very poor shape, as are 47 per cent of high schools.
In the past it took an emergency situation — like a mould problem so bad it was making people sick — to prompt action. Recently, Quebec’s Liberal government has opened its pocketbook to reinvest, announcing nearly $1.8 billion worth of construction projects and upgrades for 201819. Out on the campaign trail Tuesday, Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard promised another $400 million a year to tackle Quebec’s $3.3-billion school disrepair backlog by 2030.
It’s a welcome pledge to be sure. But this is a crisis it’s going to take more than money to fix.
Much as we’re paying for record investment in road and water infrastructure after years of neglect with traffic jams and transportation headaches, fixing our schools is going to exact a toll. Navigating a few orange cones is nothing compared with the logistical challenge of what to do with hundreds or thousands of children when their schools are being rebuilt.
Because let’s face it, it’s going to take more than a fresh coat of paint to bring many schools up to snuff — especially in Montreal. Major work is frequently required that can’t be completed during the summer when the buildings are empty. And in some cases it will be too disruptive to allow children to safely remain on the premises during reconstruction — let alone learn anything with all the dust and noise.
The only choice will be to relocate school populations, for years at a time. How long ? École Baril in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve had to be closed because of a mould problem in June 2011; it only reopened last September after nearly seven years of work. École St- Gérard in Villeray had to close for the same reason in January 2012; students only returned there last November, after six long years of making do in a nearby high school. Both were heritage buildings that take longer and cost more to overhaul.
But Sainte-Catherine-deSienne in Notre-Dame-de- Grâce was condemned because of water infiltration. Students were moved out in 2015, but the old structure wasn’t demolished until this past February. The new school is scheduled to open its doors in the fall of 2019 (knock on wood).
Luckily, children at SainteCatherine-de- Sienne are being bused to the brand-new École St-Raymond in the south end of the borough (thereby depriving students at the jam-packed École N.D.G. from their new building for three years now).
But where are we going to put everyone else?
It’s not like school boards have a plethora of vacant buildings to house displaced staff and students. Those that are empty are usually empty because they are in bad shape themselves. They in turn require work before they can be used to house school communities dislocated by construction.
Schools that are usable are often rented to outside groups, like daycares and community organizations, which are then dragged into the tumult when their leases are terminated. Families also don’t want their children shipped across town from their neighbourhood schools. That undermines the sense of community and may harm some kids’ sense of belonging.
The reality is that the renovation of existing schools creates a domino effect that ricochets through the system.
So, increasing the budgets for renovations must be accompanied by a clear strategy about what to do during all the construction. Such a strategy must involve other arms of the government as well as municipalities. Fortunately, the city of Montreal recently announced a task force with school boards to open lines of communication.
The strategy must also leverage existing public buildings — many of which are sitting empty — as possible sites for temporary relocation or even permanent new schools. The Quebec government just handed off the old Royal Victoria Hospital to McGill University to redevelop. Why couldn’t it do something similar with school boards? Renovating a vacant building while students wait in their current school seems easier than moving out.
It must also contain budgets for relocation. Rules were recently relaxed to allow school boards to rent space or explore partnerships with other organizations to speed up the establishment of new schools or deal with overcrowding situations. This is an important step in the right direction, but funding must be made available to move schools elsewhere during reconstruction.
Leaving boards to shuffle students and staff from one rundown site to another for years to come should not be the grim consequence of the essential mission of rejuvenating Quebec schools.