Paradise parents vent frustration over busing, overcrowding

More than 200 frustrated parents showed up at a public meeting in Paradise Wednesday night to vent their frustrations over a plan to bushundreds of students more than 12 kilometres to a temporary school in St. John's in September.

The parents used the meeting to blast the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District's solution to overcrowding,lining up behind a microphone in the gymnasiumat Holy Family Elementary to express their displeasure.

• No easy fix for Paradise school overcrowding: Sandy Hounsell

The board isproposingto bus about 400 students to the former School for the Deaf in St. John's.

Parents complained about how the plan would impact extracurricular activities, questioned whetherthere would be monitors on the buses to ensure student safety, and much more.

One parent even predicted that in a few years, the same issues will be causing concerns at the junior and senior high levels.

Parents have also raised concerns about the amount of time students will spend on buses, navigating the crowded roads in Paradise and St. John's.

But parents' comments didn't seem to make any difference.

Board officials say the current situation cannot continue.

The school's cafeteria and library, and even a change room,have been converted intoclassrooms.

The school has been exceeding its recommended capacity since 2009, and assistant directorTony Stacktold parents that busing the childrenfrom Paradise to St. John's this coming fall is the only answer.

"You can't add any more children to this school next year. We can't allow this current school to continue to grow," he said.

Stack explained it's atemporary solution until alarger kindergarten to Grade 6school is built in Paradise.

The board will hold another public consultation on Feb. 26.