P.E.I.'s French school board not interested in combined high school

P.E.I.'s French language school board has rejected the possibility of any further study of the idea of having one new high school built that would serve students from the Evangeline and Summerside areas.

The board says it has passed its response on to the Department of Education.

It's now asking the province to move forward with the school board's wish to build an expansion to the existing French school in Summerside to make room for high school students.

Also the board wants to make major renovations to the K to 12 school that serves the Evangeline area, located in Abram-Village.

The province had asked the school board to look at the idea of one school, said Emile Gallant, president of the board.

"We did accept the province's request, and we went and convened two meetings with the parents from both schools," said Gallant. "It was pretty well unanimous, the parents were not interested in having one school inbetween the two regions."

Existing schools need work soon

The school board agrees with that, and believes there is an immediate and growing need for two K to 12 schools in the areas.

Gallant said they have yet to hear back from the province about its response.

He said they will need to move soon, with renovations neededin both schools by the start of the next school year.

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