Not committed to new school

Provincial department says it is only exploring options for French high school programming

There has been no commitment given to P.E.I.’s French Language School Board by the P.E.I. Department of Education, Early Learning for a new school facility, the department insists.

The department issued a brief statement Thursday in response to a TC Media story that quoted Emile Gallant, French Language School Board president, saying the province had asked if the board “would consider doing a study in regards to building one high school between Summerside and Evangeline for both populations.” “It is the board’s responsibility to consult with the public on school change. We respect the board’s decision to have a broader consultation on the issue; however, there is no commitment from the department to build a new facility.” has happened with the school’s first Grade 10 class this school year.

The department, in a written response, indicated officials met with the board and asked if they were interested in pursuing a consultation process to look at various options to offer a quality high school program for secondary students at both schools, École-sur-Mer and École Évangéline.

“They were asked to identify a program, not a facility,” a department official emphasized.

“It is the board’s responsibility to consult with the public on school change. We respect the board’s decision to have a broader consultation on the issue; however, there is no commitment from the department to build a new facility,” read the department’s statement.

Gallant says the board wasn’t looking for a new facility anyway, just an expansion at the Summerside school to accommodate high school level grades and an expansion and renovation of its Abram-Village school.

“This is not our idea,” Gallant said Wednesday, the day between a pair of board-organized public consultations that he said were arranged at the province’s request.