Overcrowding at Anglophone East schools prompts new grade configurations

New Brunswick's Anglophone East district education council voted Thursday night to approve grade configurations for a number of schools to address growing enrolment but recommended no boundary changes.

District superintendent Randolph MacLean — who had laid out options for the council at its last meeting — underscored that rapid growth by saying an additional 115 students have enrolled just in the last month. 

After fielding emails, phone calls and holding two public consultations, recommendations were brought forward to council, where all motions were passed Thursday. 

The decisions will affect thousands of families in parts of New Brunswick where population growth has been robust, but has also been putting strains on schools, housing and other services. 

The meeting was livestreamed, but the public and journalists were not permitted to attend in person.

The recommendation that sparked the largest conversation, from council members and people tuning into the livestream, involved Riverview-area schools

As of last month, Riverview East, which is currently K-8, was 123 students above capacity. 

Education council chair Harry Doyle, who also represents Riverview East, said a decision involving the area's schools was not made lightly. 

"We have to house all the kids that we have and we have an awful lot more kids coming," said Doyle.

The last meeting saw suggestions of two different boundary changes that would move some students from Riverview East to Hillsborough Elementary and Caledonia Regional High School.

Another suggested scenario was to move Grades 6-8 to Riverview Middle School, which is what was proposed and passed Thursday night.

"We received a lot of conversation about Riverview, a lot of options.… There was some recommendation, an idea, a thought about boundary changing. That is not the case tonight," said MacLean.

"The feedback that we receive each time tweaks how we see the world."

Starting in 2023-24, Riverview East will become a K-5.

MacLean said more portable classrooms will be coming to Shediac Cape School and Lou MacNarin School in Dieppe.

In the last council meeting, options including boundary changes for both schools were brought up. But in Thursday's meeting, MacLean said no boundary changes will be made to either school at this time.

He reminded people that a new school in Shediac Cape for K-12 has been awarded and will be opening in the next four to five years. He also said a new school has been requested for the Dieppe area.

Change to new school on Bernice MacNaughton campus

MacLean brought forward a recommendation for the 2024-25 school year regarding the new school next to Bernice MacNaughton High School, which is set to open that year. It was originally planned as a K-8 school, but MacLean proposed it be opened as a Grade 6-8 school.

Upon its opening, MacLean said Grades 6-8 students from Evergreen Park, Bessborough School, Hillcrest School and Edith Cavell would attend the new 6-8 school.

With this change, Bessborough School would become a K-5 school and Hillcrest K-5 students would attend Bessborough.

Our kids need more than just classrooms. They need schools with all the amenities that schools provide.- Kristin Cavoukian

Council member Kristin Cavoukian said she understands impacts of the changes because her own kids would be affected. 

"As a parent who lives in this district, I wish there were another way, but I'm fully in support of these changes because I believe that they are absolutely necessary," she said.

"Our kids need more than just classrooms. They need schools with all the amenities that schools provide."

While she voted in favour of the changes, she acknowledged that the changes may have some negative effects, including limiting active transportation for students, such as walking or biking, due to having to go to a school further away.

MacLean brought forward another recommendation for the 2024-25 school year upon the opening of the school on the Bernice MacNaughton campus. He recommended reconfiguring Northrop Frye school to be a K-4 school and Maplehurst Middle School to be a 5-8 school. The recommendation was accepted by council.

'We're out of short-term fixes'

Council member Dominic Vautour suggested council ask Education Minister Bill Hogan to re-score the district's capital project requests, based on changes approved at Thursday's meeting.

Vautour said the Riverview East expansion should now be bumped up the list, and that all of the district's projects should be re-scored.

Vautour, who said long-term solutions are needed, successfully moved a motion for council to send a letter to Premier Blaine Higgs and Finance Minister Ernie Steeves requesting a higher budget for major capital projects.

"We're still in a crisis.… We will undoubtedly exceed overall capacity in the district soon. That means when we hit that point, we have no more Band-Aids. We're out of short-term fixes," said Vautour.

"We can't wait anymore. We need this money."