With P.E.I.'s population increase, 'change is needed quickly,' says school board chair

P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch has launched a study into where space for students is neededmost urgentlyas the Island's population grows.

The province has been growing at an annual rate of more than three per cent since early 2022. The Island added an additional 511 school-aged children in 2022-23, a number about equal to the total enrolment atSherwood Elementary.

That growth puts pressure on the school system, particularly in Charlottetown, where most of the growth is happening.

"Change is needed quickly," said Heather Mullen, chair of the Public Schools Branch board of trustees.

"We need bigger solutions. We have to move beyond the Band-Aid solutions and plan for the future, because this population growth just keeps coming."

While the need is urgent, solutions will necessarily take time, Mullin said.

It will start with an examination of the needs at five Charlottetown schools in particular:

• L.M. Montgomery Elementary
• St. Jean Elementary
• West Royalty Elementary
• Charlottetown Rural High
• Colonel Gray High

The study will gather information on where new residential developments are planned, in an effort to estimate how many school-aged residents may be moving into different school zones.

It will also look at the schools themselves.

"[It's] not just population growth, but also a bit of a change in the way that we provide education," Mullen said.

"It's not just the teacher with classes and the students in front of them, but lots of small spaces needed, lots of breakout spaces."

School administrations will also be consulted about how they are getting along.

'You just need more space'

Mullen is hoping to have some plans come out of this study by the end of the school year with the goal of making some changes over the summer, but she acknowledges that could be a tight timeline for booking construction work.

Initially, Mullen believes changing the configuration of some schools could make a difference, but there are limits to that strategy.

"Sometimes you just can't do changes in a building," she said."You just need more space."

The review of school infrastructure will eventually be done across the Island, she said.