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'Stop the Swap' between 2 Winnipeg schools, say Earl Grey parents

CBC News | Posted: March 15, 2015 12:32 AM | Last Updated: March 15, 2015

School swap proposal would see students, faculties from Earl Grey trade buildings with École La Vérendrye

Image | Stop the swap

Caption: About a hundred parents and students gathered outside Earl Grey School Saturday toting "Stop the Swap" signs. They are against a proposed swap that would see Earl Grey and Ecole LaVerendrye schools trade buildings to solve an overcrowding issue. (Jillian Taylor/CBC)

About 100 angry parents and students stood outside a school in Fort Rouge Saturday to protest a proposed school swap.
The group gathered outside of Earl Grey School in the afternoon, one of two schools involved in the swap some parents say is unnecessary and would negatively impact their kids.
Parents from École La Vérendrye have been pushing for the building swap with Earl Grey in Crescentwood due to overcrowding. La Vérendrye's French immersion student population continues to grow at such a rate that classrooms are bursting at the seams, parents say.
Over at Early Grey, the opposite is true: That school has room to spare. Or at least that's what many in favour of the swap believe.
But Darryl Balasko, chair of the parent advisory council at Earl Grey School, said the amount of free space at the school is being exaggerated.

Image | Stop the Swap

Caption: A quilt covered in brightly painted hands and the slogan "Let E.G. grow" hung on the side of Earl Grey Saturday. (Jillian Taylor/CBC)

"We are one community, our neighbours are La Vérendrye parents, we know they have an overcrowding issue," said Balasko. "This is not the right solution for them or for us."
Parents at Earl Grey said if the swap happens, the school will lose their junior high and nursery programs.
Balasko maintained that parents at Earl Grey would like to put some of the building's vacant space to good use by bringing a French immersion program into the school.

Image | Stop the Swap

Caption: "Don't say goodbye to our junior high," reads a sign held by an Earl Grey School parent. Parents say that if the swap goes through, Earl Grey will lose its junior high and nursery programs. (Jillian Taylor/CBC)

"We would be happy to look at a dual track for Earl Grey," said Balasko. "We could take a lot of the pressure off south Winnipeg that is feeling the pressure of all immersion programs. We'd be happy to bring that in."
There have been multiple meetings held in recent months by the Winnipeg School Division in an attempt to ease tensions and provide parents with a platform to share their ideas on the proposed swap.
The school board has the final say as to whether the swap will move forward — a decision that is expected to be made by the end of April.

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