Eastern P.E.I. is getting a new French school

The P.E.I. government is creating a new K-12 French school to serve Eastern Kings because the current cole La-Belle-Cloche school in Fortune is full to capacity with 85 students.

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"So we were pleased to make this investment in French-first language education in our province," said Early Learning and Culture Minister Hal Perry.

In a model used for other French schools in P.E.I., the former Rollo Bay Consolidated school building will be completely renovated for not only the school, but also for cultural and community meetings. The project is expected to cost $6.1 million.

This new infrastructure will offer a great opportunity to better meet the learning needs of our students as well as the needs of our Acadian and francophone community.- Emile Gallant, French school board chair

A news release on the project states, "government has worked with community members and the Commission scolaire de langue franaise to design a school to support excellence in French-first language student learning."

The new school will be designed to hold 100 to 150 students. It will include an integrated space for information technology and trades, a band room, a multi-functional science lab and a project-based learning room. The building will also include a multi-purpose room, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, an early years program and meeting rooms.

"We are very pleased that the plans to renovate the former Rollo Bay school are confirmed and moving ahead," said Emile Gallant, president of the Commission scolaire de langue francaise, P.E.I.'s French school board.

"We believe this new infrastructure will offer a great opportunity to better meet the learning needs of our students as well as the needs of our Acadian and francophone community."

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Students from cole La-Belle-Cloche are scheduled to move in to the new school in 2017.

The K-12 school in nearby Souris has French immersion, but not French-first language programing.