The hard numbers on P.E.I. school enrolment: Some overcrowded, many underutilized

Enrolments are decreasing in all but a handful of P.E.I. schools, data presented Tuesday night at a public meeting inSummersiderevealed. While some schools includingStoneparkand Charlottetown Rural are overcrowded, most schools areunderutilizednow and many will be half-empty by the next decade.

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School reorganization project manager Bob Andrews presented a breakdown of enrolment and population trends through the year 2022 at all 56 English public schools in the province, grouped into 10 family school groups.

Every student across Prince Edward Island should have the same, equitable, opportunity for public education. Doug Currie, P.E.I. Education minister

The notable exception to the trend is the Charlottetown Rural family of schools, in which all schools except Stratford Elementary andDonaghare expected to increase enrolment, bringing school utilization in that family from 102 per cent to 116 per cent by 2022.

"What the data clearly shows, it reaffirms what we're seeing as schools that are overcrowded and schools that areunderutilized," said Education Minister DougCurrie, who said the numbers didn't surprise him.

Here's a quick overview of school utilization predictions for 2022:

• Westislefamily of schools: 60% to 53%
• Three Oaks schools: 79% to 74%
• Kensingtonschools: 66% to 65%
• Kinkoraschools: 63% to 51%
• Bluefieldschools: 85% to 81%
• Colonel Gray schools: stable at 78.
• Morellschools: 47% to 41.
• Montague schools: 60% to 54%
• Sourisschools: 86% to 75%
• Charlottetown Rural schools: 102% to 116%

This information will be used to discuss whatCurriecalled "reconfigurations," or rezoning of students, throughout P.E.I.

'Exciting opportunity'

Officials will be consulting the public on any changes,Curriestressed.

"It's an exciting opportunity because it will allow a conversation around the possibilities,"CurrietoldCBC'sStephanie Brown. "Looking at the optimal school sizes for optimal learning."

One of the next steps will be deciding the number of "families" of schools for P.E.I.

"We'll be asking for innovative, engaged conversations to look at solutions,"Curriesaid.

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'Real issues'

"Every student across Prince Edward Island should have the same, equitable, opportunity for public education."

"Schools that are over capacity present some real issues in respect to class composition, but it also impacts our ability to respond to the needs of students," Currie said, noting overcrowded schools can lead to an unhealthy school culture.

The board of the Public Schools Branch, the Crown corporation which replaced the English Language School Board under P.E.I.'s new Education Act, discussed Tuesday night how to move forward.

It hopes to have a more "balanced" school system in place by the end of September 2017.

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