‘Overcapacity’ schools ongoing issue in Bedford, Hammonds Plains

With a new school year about to begin, there’s ongoing concern that school capacity issues aren’t being addressed with enough urgency.

“We’ve known on the board (Halifax Regional School Board) for a long time that the schools in the Charles P. Allen [CPA] Family of Schools, in Bedford and in the Hammonds Plains corridor as well, are virtually all nearing or are over capacity,” said Jennifer Raven, the HRSB member for the area.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We've known on the board (Halifax Regional School Board) for a long time that the schools in the Charles P. Allen [CPA] Family of Schools, in Bedford and in the Hammonds Plains corridor as well, are virtually all nearing or are over capacity," said Jennifer Raven, the HRSB member for the area.

Each year, the Halifax Regional School Board submits a list of “Capital Construction Project” recommendations to the province.

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The lists identifies what infrastructure needs the board feels are required for each family of schools.

The Charles P. Allen family of schools has a request in for new elementary and junior high schools, as well as a new high school or an addition or alteration to the existing one.

“We’ve made through our governing board, a number of requests to the province over a number of years, for new schools,” said Doug Hadley, a spokesperson with the Halifax Regional School Board.

While the government hasn’t said whether or not those recommendations will be approved, a spokesperson with the Department of Education says there’s a number of “factors” that play into those decisions.

“Given the limited resources available, a final determination on which projects move forward is the result of many factors including budget availability, critical infrastructure needs across the province and regional fairness,” said Heather Fairbairn, a spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Department of Education.

Meanwhile, soaring school populations have resulted in the ongoing addition of classroom portables at several schools within the CPA family.

READ MORE: Bedford parents concerned over condition of portable classrooms

“I met twice with the School Advisory Committee, along with the principal at Basinview Elementary School and I asked them, what would be their wish list for the bandaid solution before we can address getting a new school, or re-zoning, or boundary reviews and so portables was the only solution we could really look at,” Raven said.

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Raven said she’s been assured that the portables will be repaired and renovated by the beginning of this school year.

Meanwhile, the department says they’re “committed to working with the school boards to help them find solutions.”