Major changes to Halifax-area schools being rushed, some parents say
Celina Aalders | CBC News | Posted: May 9, 2023 9:00 AM | Last Updated: May 9, 2023
Students in 19 schools will see grades moved to different locations next fall
The Halifax Regional Centre for Education is making major changes to its schools and many parents say they're blindsided by the short notice they received about where their kids will be attending school in the fall.
Parents in the Halifax Regional Municipality found out May 1 that school officials are trying to cope with a rapidly rising student population by redistributing grades to different schools.
Students in select classes will be moving out of their schools a year earlier than expected. For instance, some Grade 6 students will go to junior high, and some Grade 9 students to high school starting in September.
Nineteen schools will be affected by these changes, including those that fall into J.L. Ilsley, Halifax West, Millwood and Woodlawn families.
Alishea Rose is a concerned parent who is worried about the new plan because it will disrupt the education of her son who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD.
WATCH | Some Halifax grades moving to different schools this fall:
For Rose, that means she's scrambling to make an education plan for her son after they found out last Monday he will be doing his Grade 6 year at a different school, Ellenvale Junior High. She thought she'd have a full year to collaborate with the Ellenvale staff, resource centre and his therapists to come up with an adequate plan for his junior high years.
"Normally, I would have time to do an education assessment or have the IWK reassess his medications to see what they think his challenges will be in junior high and how they might need to alter with his support system to help him out with that," said Rose. "And now there's no notice to do any of that."
To make matters worse, Rose says she can't even reach a HRCE employee on the phone.
"Since they took away the school board and made it the centre for education, you can't even get ahold of a human," said Rose. "It's absolutely ludicrous."
In reaction to the changes, some parents plan to protest outside the HRCE office Tuesday morning.
In a statement from the HRCE Monday, communications officer Lindsey Bunin said, "We want to assure all families that we will develop strong transition plans that speak to the needs of each student."
According to Bunin, the HRCE has been collecting feedback from families over the past week through an online commenting platform called ThoughtExchange. Comments will be closed at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
"We've received hundreds of meaningful suggestions," said Bunin.
According to the HRCE's website, more than 1,000 additional students have enrolled in area schools since Sept. 30, 2022, bringing the total number of students to 58,000.
Another parent, William Brown, is also frustrated that parents and guardians were not consulted before this decision was made.
"What not to do when you're making these types of decisions? No consultation," said Brown. "And from the kids' standpoint, you don't do it two months before the school season ends, right?"
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