New school closure, rezoning policy prepared

P.E.I.'s English Language School Board has a new draft policy for the next time school closures or rezoning are considered.

It sets out a period of public consultation before changes are made, and puts the onus on trustees to receive and respond to all reasonable questions and requests for information from the public.

School board superintendent Cynthia Fleet says trustees have been waiting for the new policy before considering any possible school closures or major rezoning. An annual enrolment review this fall could get the process started.

Fleet said school board managers will present to trustees areas where there are too many students in a school, or not enough. Fleet pointed out, however, that just because a school is small that does not mean it will be closed.

"We have areas in the province where we must have a school," she said.

"In some of the smaller, more isolated areas or more rural areas in the province, you're not going to bus children two hours to another school."

Fleet said even if the board began to consider major school changes this fall, those likely wouldn't come until effect until the fall of 2017.

In the meantime the board is accepting feedback on its new school change policy until Oct. 2.