No additional milieu school added. Students at École LaVérendrye, Earl Grey, and Robert H. Smith would remain in their current school. Details include the following:
In addition to limiting enrollment at the school, the Division would explore a variety of solutions for accommodating future growth including:
- enrollment at École LaVérendrye would be limited to catchment area students, meaning all out of catchment students not currently enrolled at École LaVérendrye would need to register elsewhere. Younger siblings of existing non-catchment students would be accepted.
- expanding computer technology capability throughout the school and converting the existing computer lab into a classroom;
- pursuing with the Province, the possibility of providing another permanent addition of 3 or 4 classrooms;
- pursuing with the Province, the possibility of retaining the existing modular classroom unit and adding a second modular classroom unit.
This is not a solution:
- Out-of-catchment enrollment has already been restricted at LaVérendrye, and enrollment is still increasing. Based on the latest projections made available by Winnipeg School Division, 44 Nursery students will be starting in September 2015, replacing 32 Grade 6 students who will have graduated in June.
- Pursuing construction of additional permanent classrooms from the Province carries no guarantees. The Province has been historically reluctant to fund additional classrooms when there is space available elsewhere.
- Modular classrooms are not viable for long-term usage. They pose logistical challenges to students and staff, since weather-appropriate outerwear is needed whenever students or staff need to use facilities in the main building (washrooms, gymnasium, library, etc).
Construction delays add additional risk to this plan:
- The existing modular classroom was intended to be open for the beginning of the 2014/15 school year, but was not ready for occupancy until 3 weeks into the year, further disrupting the education of the students assigned to that room.
- A new gymnasium, promised for the beginning of the 2015 school year, and intended to make two additional classrooms available to accommodate the Province's K-3 classroom size initiative, has been delayed until at least the fall of 2016... tenders for construction have not been issued yet, so even that date is not certain.
This plan contains no assurances that either enrollment growth will be brought under control, nor that additional space will be forthcoming to accommodate current and projected student populations. It relies on negotiating with the Public Schools Finance Board for construction funds, which will take years to materialize into usable classrooms.
LaVérendrye's students need a solution now.
