Parents at Pickering’s Maple Ridge Public School are expressing concern about their kids’ future.
That’s because of a proposal to convert the facility to a French immersion school — potentially forcing students to relocate.
“It’s very disappointing,” says James Hummel, a parent of three children who go to the school.
“For them to bring this to the board before consulting us is disappointing.”
Right now, the school is dual-stream, meaning French immersion and regular stream meaning English both attend. Durham District School Board is looking to change this due to increased enrollment in the french program.
The problem? More than 200 students would have to be moved to Vaughan Willard Public School, also in Pickering.
“We have to worry about busing,” says Hummel, who also started a petition regarding the idea.
“Do we have to worry about my wife coming home earlier? Or staying home from work to make sure these kids are getting to and from school safely?” He adds
It’s a concern shared by his kids, too.
Their eldest son, Graydon, is looking forward to more independence, after being told he could walk home from school starting next year. But the proposal would mean that changes.
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“If this happens in September. I’m going to have to be taking a bus because it’s much farther,” Graydon said.
The proposal stems from a recent report showing major growth in the French stream compared to the regular stream, which has remained relatively the same.
Since 2014, the number of French immersion students at Maple Ridge has climbed exponentially from 263 to 456.
In the same period, the regular stream had just a marginal increase from 188 to 220, with projections of dropping in the future as well.
The idea to move students is something that needs to be considered, according to Durham District School Board superintendent Jim Marovski.
“When we look at the site constraints, we need to ensure we can accommodate the current registration rates at the schools,” he says.
Maple Ridge Public School already has a number of portables on site, with a proposal for more being needed in the future. Marovski says this is the best option.
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“When you look at the geographical boundaries, this is the most feasible option,” he said.
But parents like Effie Vidinovski would then have to look at possibly splitting her kids between two schools, as one of them may not continue in the French program.
“I feel unsettled; I feel a little nervous about how the school is going to proceed,” Vidinovski said.
“I question if French is the right way to go for my son, but now that option is being taken away from me,” she says.
The decision to move regular stream students to Vaughan Willard hasn’t been solidified yet, as the school district prepares to hold consultations with parents later this month. But Marovski insists they will be listening to parents.
“The well-being, the safety and the success of our students is critical,” he said. “We want to make sure that the report that is generated is going to include all of their comments,” Marovski says.
A public meeting will be held at Vaughan Willard Jan. 21. An email has also been set up for parents to voice their concerns at mapleridgeboundaries@ddsb.ca
Whether or not to move students will be put to a vote by the board in February.
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