Overcrowding forces board to consider alternatives

Lester B. Pearson School Board officials met last week with parents from Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School to discuss various scenarios to ease continued overcrowding at the seven year-old school.

Most likely solutions will see some students housed during 2008-2009 academic years at neighbouring schools in St. Lazare, or Hudson.

It is not clear which students will be relocated, but board and school officials say they may move some grade 6 classes.

One alternative location being considering, Westwood Jr. High School in St. Lazare, has parents up in arms.

There are other ways of doing this than sending (elementary) kids to a high school, noted Roch Gamache, PET governing board chairman.

Others that could welcome the kids include Forest Hill Sr. elementary, and Mount Pleasant elementary.

PET parents suggested a fourth alternative last week: letting all students stay at the school for another year while the board waits to see if they’ll get provincial approval to build a new school in the region.

But maintaining the status quo is unlikely since enrolment numbers have steadily increased in the region, with little relief in sight.

“We’re looking at a 10 percent increase per-year over the next four or five years in this area,” says Lester B. Pearson Director General Bob Mills.

According to numbers recently issued by the Commission scolaire des Trois-Lacs, student enrolment at the French board has increased by four-percent since 2003, while Lester B Pearson’s enrolment has shot up16 percent in the region in the same time frame.

What that means for PET is that they are now over capacity by 40 to 72 students, depending on if Vaudreuil-Dorion allows the school to continue using portable classrooms that have been in place for the past five years.

The board has requested an extension from the town until 2011.

Compounding the situation are five new kindergarten classes that will start at the school next year.

“You can’t possibly put in five kindergartens and multiply that over the next seven years with the numbers we already have… its impossible demographics,” Mills said.

And though he is loath to simply speak in numbers, Mills knows a solution must be found.

“The bottom line is I’m going to have to make a decision for at least one year to allow the education process to occur.”

PET Principal Jan Langelier notes that all of the wrangling has not been lost on next year’s grade 6 students.

“They hear their parents talking and they have questions and concerns,” she said.

Some teachers have even had to stop classes and allow the kids to discuss the situation.

“Sometimes you have to put aside the lessons because life takes over,” Langelier said.

The board is expected to make a final decision by the end of this month.



There will be an open meeting held at Pierre Elliott Trudeau School in Vaudreuil-Dorion next Wed., April 16, at 7 p.m.