EDMONTON – While some local parents are welcoming Edmonton Public’s plan to ease overcrowding by changing attendance boundaries and busing children to other schools, others are calling it “concerning.”
“I certainly wouldn’t want my child on a bus for an hour a day, or up to an hour a day, each direction,” said Christine Martin, who lives in Terwillegar Towne.
However, Edmonton Public revealed that some children will be experiencing bus ride times that long under its new plan to ease overcrowding in 11 schools.
“Adding transportation does make it more complicated, but we really have no option,” explained Parker.
“We have buildings with finite capacity. We have neighbourhoods that are growing at – what’s been described as – an astronomical rate.”
He said 19 per cent of the 87,000 students in the district live in the newer neighbourhoods that are growing at a rapid pace.
On Tuesday, Edmonton Public announced its plan to accommodate the growth. It will shrink the attendance boundaries for schools, and move children in some areas to other schools in other areas.
READ MORE: Edmonton Public will shrink enrollment boundaries to handle growth
The schools included in the District Accommodation Plan are Dr. Donald Massey School, Elizabeth Finch School, Bessie Nichols School, Winterburn School, Brander Gardens School, Esther Starkman School, Johnny Bright School, A.Blair McPherson School, Bisset School, Ellerslie School, and Michael Strembitsky School.
Click here to see how the boundaries have changed for those schools and which communities are affected and how.
In many cases, a grandfather rule will allow students who already attend the schools to continue doing so. The new boundaries will apply – in most cases – to new students.
“Grandfather is the best word ever today,” says parent Colleen Kellner. “I’m ecstatic by the decision the superintendent and board have come to.”
During consultation with the public, the district said it heard two priorities from parents: grandfathering whenever possible, and keeping schools in the K-Grade 9 configuration.
“I definitely think they’ve listened to the parents, that they’ve listened to the community, they’ve listened to the kids,” added Kellner. “Everybody spoke up and we’ve been heard.”
Kellner moved to the Granville neighbourhood so that her children could go to Bessie Nichols School.
Under the new plan, all three children will still be able to attend Bessie Nichols. However, they won’t receive transportation provided by Edmonton Public.
“I guess I’m a taxi,” she said. “I’m OK with that. If it means that my kids get to stay at their school, if it means that it doesn’t affect my kids, I’m OK to be a taxi. I’m OK to carpool, I’m OK to figure out a solution.”
However, other parents are worried about the new boundaries.
“It’s definitely concerning,” shared Martin. “It doesn’t make me feel very good considering I do live just two blocks south of the school.”
“The idea of moving closer to the school and then being outside the catchment area is a little bit alarming.”
Still, she understands the situation the board is in.
“I understand that no matter what community you’re in right now in the south, basically, you’re going to be running into these problems, and I guess we should all be aware of that as we move into these areas.”
She feels, ultimately, the best solution would be more schools to match the growing population.
“I would love to see more schools built, but that still takes time… More money put into the education system. We do live in a pretty rich province; it would be nice to see more go in.”
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