Parents weigh in on proposed Winnipeg school swap

The Winnipeg School Division held an emergency meeting Thursday night to talk about overcrowding at LaVerendrye School and a proposed swap that would see students from two schools switch buildings.

Parents of students from LaVerendrye and Earl Grey schools were invited to the meeting at the school division's office to express concerns over the possible swap.

The division is looking at moving students at LaVerendrye into Earl Grey school, and the other way around.

LaVerendrye's growing student population has presented the school with an overcrowding issue, while just blocks away Earl Grey currently has space that is vacant and not in use.

The division talked to parents about different options to deal with crowding.

Tracey Busby has one child currently enrolled at LaVerendrye and thinks the swap makes sense.

"If that's what needs to be done in order to meet the needs of all our children, then that's what we should move forward with,” said Busby. “Currently my understanding is that Earl Grey has 10 empty classrooms in the school."

Steve Offman is also a parent to a student that goes to LaVerendrye.

"If it was a viable option that everybody was okay with, it seems like a fairly good idea,” said Offman. “I don't think everybody in the long run will be OK with any idea we do, so it's hard to say."

School division board members said the next phase is a consultation process between the division and stakeholders from both schools.