School board delays decision on Paradise school busing issue

The Newfoundland and Labrador English School Districthas delayed its decision on where some elementary students in Paradise will be bused in the fall.

Board trustees met in Gander Thursday night, and one of the things on the agenda was a vote on the school busing zone for Holy Family Elementary.

Butthe votehas now been delayed untilthe board's next meeting on March 30.

Parents have complained that the school is not big enough to handle the numberof students currently enrolled there. A new school is set to open in Paradise in September 2016 but until then Holy Family is well over its intended capacity.

• Paradise parents demand solutions to school overcrowding

The board is exploring two options for the overcrowding issue:either to add modular classrooms to Holy Family,or send older students to the former school for the deaf in St. John's.

At Thursday night's meeting, the board pushed the final decision on whether students will be bused 12 kilometres to St. John's until the end of the month.

Holy Family school council chair Sandy Hounsell drove three hoursfrom Paradise to Gander for the meeting.

"There was no question. I had to be here," he said.

He thinksit's crucialfor other parents to get involved so that the right decision is made.

"Even if parents have gone in and commented on the previous options, I would encourage them to go back and comment between now and the 30th (of March)," he said.

"We're down now to essentially two options. The catchment area has been dealt with. So that's done."

More time to collect information

School board chair Milton Peach said trustees havebeen getting a great deal of feedback from parents and other stakeholders.

He thinks that by allowing a few more weeks for people to submit their opinions and concerns, the board can make a better decision

"We've had a tremendous response through that process," he said.

"When we get together on March 30th, we will have enough information, enough feedback from the parents to make a decision."

"I think it's very important so that we do it before the end of March so that we know where we are headed before the start of the next school year."