School solutions
Stratford proposes collaboration to build ‘community campus’ of two schools and recreational facilities
The Town of Stratford believes it has a long-term solution to address overcrowding in its schools while also updating and replacing its recreational facilities.
Now the challenge will be in convincing the Public Schools Branch (PSB) of the need to build a junior and senior high school in a 160-acre “community campus” that would also include the town’s recreational facilities.
The long-term vision was unveiled to a crowd of about 150 during a public meeting at town hall Wednesday. Donna MacLeod, who has a son attending Stratford Elementary and a daughter at Birchwood Intermediate, was one of many parents who gave the idea thumbs up.
“It would be great for the kids and the community,” said MacLeod, who spoke on the impact of school overcrowding. “Kids going to a bigger school don’t have quite as much of a chance to make teams, be part of groups, and that can affect their
confidence or ability to pursue sports and other interests.
“In a school like this, they’ll have more of a chance.”
The proposal would see the town secure a 160-acre parcel of land. The schools would be constructed adjacent to an arena site as well as several multipurpose fields, baseball diamonds and more.
Currently, the town’s soccer fields are taking up space in the business park, and Mayor David Dunphy said the nearby Pownal Sports Centre is nearly at capacity and will eventually need another ice surface.
Dunphy said the town would also co-operate with the PSB by building the sports facilities, instead of the town and each of the schools having separate ones.
“That’s where the collaboration comes in where we can work together and save money,” said Dunphy, noting that the facilities could also serve the greater community.
With MacLeod and her children having moved from Halifax about four years ago, she compared the shared space to the popular Commons in the centre of that city.
“(It’s) an area where the community can benefit, people of all ages,” she said. “It’s getting everyone engaged in things that are physically and mentally healthy.”
Dunphy listed a number of other pros such as mental wellness benefits for students, easing overcrowding at existing schools, reducing traffic on the Hillsborough Bridge and keeping Stratford students in their own community for K-12.
While town representatives have met with the PSB this summer, Dunphy said there has been a “battle of projections.”
Pointing to the numbers in a review completed by the Atlantic Evaluation Group, Dunphy said the PSB and previous boards have consistently underestimated Stratford’s student growth.
“Stratford has experienced high population growth, and this will continue into the future, we feel,” said Dunphy, adding that the numbers show more than sufficient space in Charlottetown’s schools if all Stratford students were moved into their own community. “We feel new school infrastructure should be constructed in a community where there is a shortage.”
The PSB will meet at Stonepark Intermediate next Wednesday to give this year’s recommendations to the board of directors.
Dunphy encouraged the crowd to attend that meeting and show the importance of the vision to the community.
“It’s going to be very important that we’re mobilized as a community to advocate.”