The hard numbers on P.E.I. school enrolment: Some overcrowded, many underutilized
'We'll be asking for innovative, engaged conversations to look at solutions'
Enrolments are decreasing in all but a handful of P.E.I. schools, data presented Tuesday night at a public meeting in Summerside revealed. While some schools including Stonepark and Charlottetown Rural are overcrowded, most schools are underutilized now and many will be half-empty by the next decade.
School reorganization project manager Bob Andrews presented a breakdown of enrolment and population trends through the year 2022 at all 56 English public schools in the province, grouped into 10 family school groups.
Every student across Prince Edward Island should have the same, equitable, opportunity for public education.— Doug Currie, P.E.I. Education minister
The notable exception to the trend is the Charlottetown Rural family of schools, in which all schools except Stratford Elementary and Donagh are expected to increase enrolment, bringing school utilization in that family from 102 per cent to 116 per cent by 2022.
"What the data clearly shows, it reaffirms what we're seeing as schools that are overcrowded and schools that are underutilized," said Education Minister Doug Currie, who said the numbers didn't surprise him.
Here's a quick overview of school utilization predictions for 2022:
- Westisle family of schools: 60% to 53%
- Three Oaks schools: 79% to 74%
- Kensington schools: 66% to 65%
- Kinkora schools: 63% to 51%
- Bluefield schools: 85% to 81%
- Colonel Gray schools: stable at 78.
- Morell schools: 47% to 41.
- Montague schools: 60% to 54%
- Souris schools: 86% to 75%
- Charlottetown Rural schools: 102% to 116%
This information will be used to discuss what Currie called "reconfigurations," or rezoning of students, throughout P.E.I.
'Exciting opportunity'
Officials will be consulting the public on any changes, Currie stressed.
"It's an exciting opportunity because it will allow a conversation around the possibilities," Currie told CBC's Stephanie Brown. "Looking at the optimal school sizes for optimal learning."
One of the next steps will be deciding the number of "families" of schools for P.E.I.
"We'll be asking for innovative, engaged conversations to look at solutions," Currie said.
'Real issues'
"Every student across Prince Edward Island should have the same, equitable, opportunity for public education."
"Schools that are over capacity present some real issues in respect to class composition, but it also impacts our ability to respond to the needs of students," Currie said, noting overcrowded schools can lead to an unhealthy school culture.
The board of the Public Schools Branch, the Crown corporation which replaced the English Language School Board under P.E.I.'s new Education Act, discussed Tuesday night how to move forward.
It hopes to have a more "balanced" school system in place by the end of September 2017.
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With files from Stephanie Brown