A tale of two schools: One's half empty, one's extra full

Birchwood Intermediate andStonepark Intermediate teach the same grades in the same city Charlottetown but student enrolment numbers couldn't be more different.

Stonepark's enrolment stands at 908 112 per cent capacity.

Birchwood has 227, leaving it more than half empty.

Both schools are currently being reviewed by the Public Schools Branch as part of a major study with a view to extensive rezoning and possible school closures.

• P.E.I. public schools, and whether they are part of the 2017 review
• School rezoning, possible closures, coming for next school year

"I know there's a lot of wayunderpopulated schools and there's no choice but to probably rezone," said Stonepark parent Eric Broadbent.

"I know some people might not agree, but that's what I think."

Stonepark is located in the north end of Charlottetown, and many of the students itserves come from the fast-growing suburbs of Stratford and area.

Birchwood, downtown, has more students who live nearby and walk to school.

Inside, the differences are stark.

Both schools no longer need their computer labs, thanks to newwireless technology that has put computers in every classroom.

At Birchwood, the old computer lab now sits empty. At Stonepark, the windowlesslabhas been converted into classroom space.Stonepark staff say they have two other windowless rooms that have also been re-purposed as teaching spaces.

Parents suggest solutions

Left unchecked,disparities between the two schools will continueto grow.

The Public Schools Branch expects Stonepark will swell to 1,174students by the year 2022, stretching it to 145 per cent percent over its 810-studentcapacity.

Birchwood, by contrast, will barely hold its own, dwindling to221students by 2022. It will be usingjust 40 per cent of its 550-studentcapacity.

It's kind of hard to move around- Haydyn MacAulay, Stonepark student

Wednesday afternoon, Stonepark students poured out onto the sports field for theTerry Fox Run. The green space was crowded with hundreds ofyoung people.

"It's pretty hard to get places cause there's a lot of people everywhere all the time," said Stonepark student HaydynMacAulay. "It's kind of hard to move around."

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