Meetings about capacity at Charlottetown schools begin Monday

The P.E.I. Public SchoolsBranch is beginning its review of capacity at Charlottetown schools with its first public meeting Monday evening.

Six schools under review are expecting steady growth for the next several years and thePublic Schools Branch (PSB) is concerned there currently may not be enough room to fit future students.

Schools under review include:

• Charlottetown Rural High School
• Colonel GrayHigh School
• Queen Charlotte Intermediate
• Spring Park Elementary
• West Kent Elementary
• Birchwood Intermediate

Parker Grimmer, thedirector of the PSB, told CBCNews: Compasshost Louise Martin that the PSB will be relying on input from parents, students and the general public to guidefuture decisions.

"We have more and more students wanting to come to our schools and that's a good thing, we welcome that, but we need to prepare for them," he said.

"We don't expect all the answers to be coming out of this week's round of meetings, but we do think it's going to give us direction and purpose going forward."

First meeting Monday at Colonel Gray

According to Grimmer,projections suggestthose schoolpopulationswill be "tipping" in the next three to five years.

People who attend the public meeting will be divided into smaller groups to discuss how to address overcapacity at the schools. The discussions will be recorded by the school branch as well.

Though therewon't likelybe any changes madeuntil at least the 2020-21 school year, Grimmer said he'd likeall the information from meetings to be in the hands of the PSB's board of directors before the fall so it can begin planning itsstrategy for the future.

The first meeting takes place at Colonel Grayat 7 p.m. Monday. The next meetings will take place 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Charlottetown Rural.

For those who can't attend the meetings, there is anonline surveythat can be filled out until July 20.

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