Boundary bashing: parents in an uproar over new public school boundaries
CBC News | Posted: June 6, 2016 5:48 PM | Last Updated: June 6, 2016
'We are less than a kilometre from the school, and we are not within the boundaries'
Some parents are frustrated with overcrowding and long commutes as the Edmonton public school board again re-draws its attendance boundary map.
The district has announced a series of new zones that will come into effect for the 2017-18 school year, when 11 new public schools are scheduled to open across the city.
Kaela Hendra,who lives in the Creekwood Chappelle neighbourhood, south of Ellerslie Road, was looking forward to sending her son to one of the new schools, Heritage Valley, when it opens next fall.
But when she saw the proposed boundary map, her optimism quickly turned to disappointment.
Even though her home is just one kilometre from the new school site, she said there's little chance her son will ever be able to attend.
'It's very frustrating'
Instead, he'll have to go to Duggan School, a 15 km commute from their home.
"We were expecting to see the boundaries to be sort of in a radius around the school, so we were anxiously excited to put our little guy in this new school," Hendra said during a Monday morning interview on Edmonton AM.
"But, we are less than a kilometre from the school, and we are not within the boundaries. It's very frustrating."
She said Creekwood Chappelle is the only new neighbourhood in southwest Edmonton that isn't designated for any of the new schools, and parents are in an "uproar."
"This just happened, so there are a lot of parents who are pretty frustrated with it. We are going to get organized on how to best to tackle this."
The new Heritage Valley school in Chappelle will accommodate 900 students from kindergarten to Grade 9, but class sizes are already a concern.
Hendra said her home falls into the secondary catchment zone, so there is a small chance their two boys could eventually get into the new school. But with overcrowding expected, there is no guarantee.
"Each June we're going to be on edge and wonder whether our child is going to school with his friends in the neighbourhood, and whether his brother is going to be able to attend the same school."
Board to host information sessions
The district is hosting a series of information sessions about the new boundaries.
School officials say feedback garnered from the meetings will be considered before any final decision on the latest round of redesignations is made.
Though the meeting for Chappelle was held last week, Hendra said the conversation among parents in her neighbourhood is far from over.
"We want to be fair and calm and understanding, but we need to be heard."
Though meetings for parents in the Greater Lawton, Windermere Chappelle and Allard neighourhoods were held last week, three more information sessions are being held this week.
Monday, June 6
6:30 - 8:30 p.m at Bessie Nichols School
- Granville K-9
- Secord K-9
- Webber Greens 7-9
Tuesday, June 7
6:30 - 8:30 p.m at Michael Strembitsky School
- The Orchards K-9
- Walker K-9
- Laurel K-9
Thursday, June 9
6:30 - 8:30 p.m at Elizabeth Finch School
- Hudson K-9