Commission scolaire de langue française declares 2018-2019 another good year

The Commission scolaire de langue française (CSLF), P.E.I.’s French-language school board, presented its yearly results for the 2018-2019 fiscal year at the annual general meeting at Summerside’s Centre Belle-Alliance Oct. 8.

Highlights of the year include the resumption of negotiations with the province after the CSLF withdrew its legal challenge on the underfunding of Frenchlanguage education on P.E.I., the opening of the new La-BelleCloche school in Rollo Bay, the construction of a high school at Summerside’s École-sur-Mer and the election of a new board in May 2018.

The CSLF also improved its collaboration with numerous volunteer groups in P.E.I.’s Acadian and Francophone community, notably the Fédération des parents and the Association des centres de la petite enfance francophones.

Another highlight was the 1,000th enrolment and a cumulative student population increase of 22 per cent over the previous five years.

Progress brings challenges, however. The significant growth in school enrolments increases the time of some bus routes. Also, most of the growth comes from new students whose parents are English-speaking rights holders and start school with a limited knowledge of French. This requires francisation services. The board met some of these additional needs, but this resulted in a $ 253,224 deficit out of an operational budget of $ 17.3 million.

The under-funding of French-language education will thus continue to be a priority in 2019-2020. It is the most important project in the Acadian and Francophone community since the 2000 legal victory achieved by Summerside parents in the Arsenault-Cameron case.