Introduction 

Schools Reviewed 

Review Process 

Functional Capacity 

Enrolment Projections 

Consultations 

Feedback from Consultations Research Methodology 

Elementary Background Elementary Option 1: Background Elementary Option 2: Background Elementary Option 3: 

Secondary Background Secondary Option 1: Background Secondary Option 2: Background Secondary Option 3: Background Secondary Option 4: Background Secondary Option 5: 

Concurrent Development 

Areas of Further Research 

Conclusion 

Appendices 

 

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Introduction The Public Schools Branch is committed to ensuring that its students have access to quality                             educational programs and services. As all community members play a role in the education of our                               youth, the Public Schools Branch wanted to engage and collaborate with the public on improving                             the school environment in the Charlottetown Family of Schools through a consultative process.   The Public Schools Branch Board of Directors initiated this study of the Charlottetown Family of                             Schools after accepting the recommendation from Public Schools Branch, Review of Schools –                         Charlottetown Family of Schools Report, April 2018 to further study the schools to ensure that                             there is sufficient capacity for increased enrollment. The study also provided the opportunity to                           address a recommendation from the April 3, 2017 Board of Directors meeting to do a more                               thorough review of Charlottetown Rural Senior High and Colonel Gray Senior High as there is a                               significant increase in student enrollment at the senior high school level in the near term for the                                 Charlottetown Family of Schools.  The preliminary work in this study involved re-examining functional capacities at the Charlottetown                         Family of Schools as well as looking at infrastructure and programming needs at each school level.                               The Public Schools Branch followed a process for the public to provide input and creative solutions                               to the functional capacity issues facing some of the schools in the Charlottetown area. 

Schools Reviewed The following schools were identified as the focus for further study, although it was noted that                               additional schools may be impacted:  Charlottetown Rural Senior High  Colonel Gray Senior High  Queen Charlotte Intermediate  Birchwood Intermediate  Spring Park Elementary  West Kent Elementary   Recent projected enrolment data from Baragar, a company which provides the Public Schools                         Branch with projected enrolment data, shows that Charlottetown Rural Senior High, Colonel Gray                         Senior High, Queen Charlotte Intermediate, Birchwood Intermediate, Spring Park Elementary and                     West Kent Elementary may exceed their functional capacity in the near term.  

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Review Process The process followed the Public Schools Branch School Change Policy (Appendix A) while                         respecting the powers and duties conferred on the Public Schools Branch under the Education Act.                             The School Change policy specifies that the Director may conduct a Review of Schools every five                               years or more frequently on his/her own initiative or on direction from the Board of Directors.   In a Review of Schools, the Director may, for each identified school, recommend to the Board that:  

● The status quo at the school be maintained; ● The status quo be maintained, but that the situation at the school be monitored; or ● A more in-depth study of the school be done, and that options for a Category I and/or a                                   

Category II change be explored.   On April 16, 2018 the Public Schools Branch Board of Directors approved that a more in-depth study                                 be done of the Charlottetown Family of Schools using the Category I process. The study looked at                                 functional capacity and future enrolment projections. The Public Schools Branch partnered with a                         local communications and marketing firm, VOLUME 18, to conduct the public consultations and                         assist with the research.        

 

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Functional Capacity It is important to regularly review the factors required to have optimal learning environments in our                               schools. Changes in programming and class composition require that the functional capacity of                         schools is reassessed on a regular basis.   In January 2017, a review of the Total Functional Capacity* of the Charlottetown Family of Schools                               from an infrastructure standpoint was completed. The total functional capacity was re-examined in                         April/May 2018 after conducting interviews with administrators of the sixteen schools in the                         Charlottetown Family of Schools.  

School  Functional Capacity (2016) 

January 2017   Functional Capacity Review 

May 2018   Functional Capacity Review 

Functional Capacity(2018) 

Birchwood Intermediate  600  594  594  594 

Charlottetown Rural Senior High  900  900  950  950 

Colonel Gray Senior High  900  900  950  950 

Donagh Regional  244  244  244  244 

Glen Stewart Primary  550  569  672  550 

L.M. Montgomery Elementary  382  382  350  350 

Parkdale Elementary  244  244  200  200 

Prince Street Elementary  391  391  358  358 

Queen Charlotte Intermediate  620  620  620  620 

Sherwood Elementary  575  599  550  550 

Spring Park Elementary  500  576  500  500 

St. Jean Elementary  460  461  423  423 

Stonepark Intermediate  810  810  810  810 

Stratford Elementary  500  500  500  500 

West Kent Elementary  400  409  376  376 

West Royalty Elementary  526  558  495  495 *Total Functional Capacity is the optimum number of students which creates the best possible learning environment                               given current programming and composition requirements. 

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  Additions are currently being added to LM Montgomery Elementary and Stratford Elementary. It is                           projected that the capacities of these two schools would increase to 520 students for LM                             Montgomery Elementary and 826 students for Stratford Elementary. The additions for LM                       Montgomery Elementary and Stratford Elementary are projected to be completed for September                       2019. Future additions are being planned for the replacement of Sherwood Elementary and an                           addition to West Royalty Elementary. The capacities for these projects will be confirmed once the                             planning phase is finalized.  All sixteen schools in the Charlottetown Family of Schools were reviewed for optimal functional                           capacity. Considerations of class composition and creating the strongest learning environment for                       children was at the forefront of the consideration for total functional capacity. The two reviews                             recommended no functional capacity changes for Donagh Regional, Queen Charlotte Intermediate,                     Stonepark Intermediate and Stratford Elementary.   Recommended Changes in Total Functional Capacity for Charlottetown Schools  Glen Stewart Primary While the recent re-examination identified that additional students could be added to the facility,                           it was determined that this would not be an optimal learning environment due to current                             programming and class composition. Therefore it was decided to accept 550 students as the                           functional capacity for the school at this time.  Charlottetown Rural Senior High Charlottetown Rural Senior High can accommodate 950 students with proper support for EAL,                         Special Needs, and IB space in the building.  Colonel Gray Senior High The review revealed that 950 students is a functional capacity for Colonel Gray Senior High if the                                 numbers fall in the right course selection with sufficient support for EAL students.   LM Montgomery Elementary The 170 student addition to the school has been previously approved to ensure that there is                               capacity for the current and future student levels.   Parkdale Elementary The total functional capacity was determined based on nine classrooms and using the Minister’s                           Directive suggested class size of 18 students for kindergarten, 22 students at primary and 25                             students at elementary. Although the 2017 Report and previous total functional capacity indicated                         that there were 10 classes available for home rooms, it was determined that there are only nine.    

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 Prince Street Elementary The change in total functional capacity is based on wanting to lower the class sizes in primary to 22                                     students and elementary to 25 students. In order to capture a 16th classroom the Chances program                               would have to be relocated out of the building. 358 students with 16 classroom would have three K                                   classes of 8, seven primary classes of 22 and six elementary classes of 25 students.  Sherwood Elementary There are 25 classrooms available (mobile classes not included) and if the school is to adopt class                                 sizes of 22 students at primary and 25 students at elementary, then it will reduce Sherwood’s total                                 functional capacity to 550 students currently.  St. Jean Elementary A functional capacity of 423 students would be based on reducing the class sizes in primary to 22                                   students and elementary to 25 students. Four classes at 18 students, eight primary at 22 students                               and seven elementary at 25 students; nineteen home rooms in total.  West Kent Elementary The administration noted that in 2017/2018 it operated with 16 home rooms but could expand to 17                                 home rooms with primary classes at 22 students and elementary classes at 15 students for a total of                                   376 students.  West Royalty Elementary The new functional capacity of 495 students is based on four K classes of 18 students, nine primary                                   classes of 22 students and nine elementary classes of 25 students. A 10 classroom addition to the                                 school has been previously approved to ensure that there is capacity for current and future student                               levels.   

  

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Enrolment Projections Baragar Enrolment Projections  The Public Schools Branch has been using the enrolment projections from Baragar for over two decades with very accurate results to help advise the financial and human resourcing as well as infrastructure management and development. Baragar works with school districts across Canada to help predict school enrolments and changes for school districts to plan for infrastructure and human and financial resourcing. Barager provides the Public Schools Branch with enrolment projections based on set methodology outlined in Appendix B.  As with all infrastructure or financial and human resourcing decisions surrounding the public school system and student learning, the Public Schools Branch is diligent to consider all information before proceeding with decisions.  As shown in the enrolment projections, both senior high schools, Charlottetown Rural Senior High                           and Colonel Gray Senior High will experience over-capacity issues within the near term. Three other                             schools are indicating or experiencing over-capacity issues in the near term: Spring Park                         Elementary, West Kent Elementary and Queen Charlotte Intermediate. Birchwood Intermediate is                     also showing significant growth over the next 5 years, which may cause overcapacity issues. Please                             note, while projected enrolments show over-capacity for Glen Stewart Primary, Stratford                     Elementary, West Royalty Elementary and LM Montgomery Elementary, construction has been                     approved, with some work commencing 2018. All infrastructure that has been approved is expected                           to resolve the current issues and provide further space for growth in the future.   The following graph shows the enrolment projection versus the total functional capacity of West                           Kent Elementary and Spring Park Elementary. In 2017, West Kent Elementary was zoned for French                             Immersion program; this change increased enrolment and lessened some of the capacity pressures                         facing Spring Park Elementary. As shown below, with the change in functional capacity of Spring                             Park Elementary to 500, this resulted in immediate over capacity at Spring Park Elementary and                             over capacity at West Kent Elementary by 2021.  

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Consultations The Public Schools Branch posted the background information from the Charlottetown Family of                         Schools Review in April 2018. Beginning in June 2018, the Public Schools Branch hosted three public                               engagement consultations, a number of key stakeholder consultations and designed an online                       survey to reflect the same process as the in-person consultations. The online survey was hosted on                               the Public Schools Branch website from June 14 until July 20 to provide time for staff, parents and                                   community members to participate.  The in-person consultations were:  

June 25 on West Kent Elementary and Spring Park Elementary June 27 on Charlottetown Rural Senior High and Colonel Gray Senior High  June 28 on Queen Charlotte Intermediate and Birchwood Intermediate 

 The in-person consultations included barometer questions to take an overall picture of the                         direction that participants would like to see the Public Schools Branch take. The barometers                           included the following questions:  

Strongly Agree-------Strongly Disagree  

The Public Schools Branch should maintain the status quo  

The Public Schools Branch should examine rezoning before investing in new infrastructure.  

The Public Schools Branch should examine additions to existing schools over a new school.  The participants were provided with an overview of the total functional capacity and enrolment                           projections. They were then asked to form groups of 4-5 people to work through a placemat                               activity on providing concrete solutions for the strains on the functional capacity at each level of                               school. The placemat was designed to allow for each participant to write their feedback                           individually in their corner. After 15 minutes the groups were asked to work collaboratively to see if                                 there were ideas and best practices that the group agreed on. This format allowed the                             consultations to capture all the thoughts of the participants that were in attendance and see if                               there was any of those ideas that the group felt were more significant or gained more support.  

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  The second round of placemat activities randomly assigned groups one of three different questions                           to gather solution-focused ideas to be considered by the Public Schools Branch. The questions                           asked about how to create stronger learning environments for students, whether there was a                           preference for new infrastructure over rezoning and recommendations on locations for those                       suggestions, and out-of-the-box ideas to address the resource constraints identified.   Participants in the Consultation In-person 76 Online Consultations 230  

Feedback from Consultations  Across all consultations and online responses there was consensus that the status quo for the                             Charlottetown Family of Schools was not supported. The Public Schools Branch and the Board of                             Directors are grateful to all parents, staff and community members who participated in the public                             consultations on the resourcing constraints facing the Charlottetown Family of Schools.   The feedback from the consultations and online responses elicited a total of 24% support for a new                                 school build. Of those responses, 58% specified the new school would be for intermediate and/or                             senior high students and should be located in Stratford.  

Removing Stratford kids and placing them in their               own communities in their own school solves most of                 the overcrowding issues in city intermediates and             Charlottetown Rural with only a few minor rezones               back within the city (ie some of Queen Charlotte                 students to Birchwood for example). Stratford's           booming population growth supports this long term             plan for the future. - Online survey feedback 

 

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Rezoning was the second most suggested solution, with 23% support among online and in-person                           participants across all grade levels. Of those supporters, 47% indicated rezoning was the best                           solution specifically at the elementary level. At the elementary consultation evening a total of 83%                             of participants indicated a preference for rezoning over new infrastructure for elementary level                         space constraints. A consistent theme among responses in support of rezoning was the importance                           of enforcing zones once they are established.   

Could there be a rezoning process that would better use the available space? -Online survey feedback 

 Of the three strongest emergent themes and suggestions, additions to schools was the least                           popular, with only 9% of total respondents supporting that option exclusively. More often,                         participants suggested additions in tandem with support for another option as well.  

I think consideration should be given to adding space                 at the two existing high schools. Before a decision is                   made regarding additional infrastructure, I would like             the PSB to consider the impact on class size and                   course options.- Online survey feedback 

 Although our in-person consultations were divided into three evenings to separate elementary,                       intermediate and senior high needs, participants were noted as discussing strains and solutions at                           all levels, regardless of the consultation they attended. Similarly, online survey responses addressed                         needs at various levels of schooling regardless of the grade level indicated by the survey                             respondent.   Elementary  The barometer questions provided clear visual insight into the direction participants wanted to see                           for next steps from the Public Schools Branch. While the specifics of each question were discussed                               as part of the placemat portion of the consultations, the barometers often provided a definitive                             response to the overall questions before the details (often questions around where and how to                             execute the decisions) were debated at the tables.  

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 The majority of participants at the elementary level consultation agreed that rezoning is the                           direction they would like to see the Public Schools Branch go to alleviate the capacity constraints                               at that level. In total, 83% of participants at the elementary consultation agreed that rezoning was                               the preferred option over building new infrastructure.   Intermediate  

  The results at the intermediate consultation reflect the trend that was noted throughout all public                             meetings: people want change, but there is no clear answer on how changes should be made. All of                                   the participants at the intermediate meeting agreed that the Public Schools Branch should not                           maintain the status quo with mixed results regarding additions over a new build. 

   

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 Senior High  

 Results from the consultations at the senior high school level clearly showed a change is needed                               but the participants were divided regarding the preferred approach. An obvious majority indicated                         that the Public Schools Branch should not maintain the status quo, yet the discussion of additions                               versus new construction was split almost evenly among the group, with more participants                         disagreeing that additions should be examined ahead of new infrastructure. 

 

Research Methodology All of the data gathered from the in-person consultations and the online surveys was processed                             using thematic analysis, a form of qualitative research designed to allow broad themes and specific                             patterns to evolve from the data. In thematic analysis, the themes or findings of the research are                                 not imposed by the researcher, but simply gathered from the data as it is collected.  All written responses, both online and on the placemats from the in-person consultation sessions                           were given codes based on the content and length of the response. Some responses were assigned                               only one code, while others were given multiple codes to ensure all ideas were captured                             effectively. Once the initial coding was complete for all of the data, the codes were refined into                                 emergent themes. These themes captured recurring suggestions, ideas and concerns in the data.                         Finally, the data was reviewed in full again where the identified themes were scored and tallied to                                 produce the final percentages provided within this report.  

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Elementary Summary of Recommended Options for Elementary:  Elementary Option 1 Rezone students living in Orchard Hill/Lewis Point Park area who are currently zoned to Spring Park                               Elementary and who are in the English program to West Royalty Elementary.  Elementary Option 2 Rezone students living in the ‘Queen Street circle’ area (this includes Burns Avenue, University                           Avenue, Brown’s Court, Belvedere Avenue, and North River Road), who are currently zoned for                           Spring Park Elementary and are in the English program to West Royalty Elementary.  Elementary Option 3 Rezone students living on North River Road, Churchill Avenue, Peake Street, Windsor Street, Spring                           Street, Villa Avenue, Victoria Street, Green Street, Highland Avenue, McGill Avenue, Greenfield                       Avenue, Ambrose Street, Pembrooke Terrace, Vail Drive and Greenfield Avenue who are currently                         zoned for West Kent Elementary and who are in the English program to St. Jean Elementary.   Overview of Elementary Options  According to current projections, Spring Park Elementary is presently over capacity by                       approximately 50 students, and West Kent Elementary is projected to tip over capacity by 2021.                             Given these numbers, there are several options below to alleviate the constraints at these two                             schools.   As a result of the French Immersion programs being offered in West Kent Elementary and Spring                               Park Elementary schools there are 44 students attending West Kent Elementary for French                         Immersion but live in another school zone, and 31 students attending Spring Park Elementary for                             French Immersion but live in another school zone. This in combination with already high student                             numbers means both schools are in need of zoning changes to alleviate capacity strain and ensure                               optimal learning environments are maintained.       

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Background Elementary Option 1:  Rezone students living in Orchard Hill/Lewis Point Park area who are currently zoned to Spring Park                               Elementary and who are in the English program to West Royalty Elementary.  There are currently 142 students who live in Orchard Hill/Lewis Point Park, 78 of whom are in the                                   English program. If these students were all rezoned to West Royalty Elementary, the anticipated                           student body at West Royalty Elementary would be 519 students; 24 students over the                           recommended total functional capacity in this report. The addition planned for West Royalty                         Elementary is scheduled to be complete by 2021, and will increase their Total Functional Capacity                             to 700 students from 495 students. Mobile units are available for use in order to accommodate                               students preceding the completion of the new wing.   This map highlights the streets included in the Orchard Hill/Lewis Point Park area and includes both                               English and French immersion students.     

 

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Background Elementary Option 2:  Rezone students living in the ‘Queen Street circle’ area (this includes Burns Avenue, University                           Avenue, Brown’s Court, Belvedere Avenue, and North River Road), who are currently zoned for                           Spring Park Elementary and are in the English program to West Royalty Elementary.   The map below shows the area and number of students to be rezoned out of Spring Park                                 Elementary. According to the most recent data available; if the students from this area were                             rezoned entirely to West Royalty Elementary that school would have 539 students. As noted above,                             with the additional wing scheduled for completion in 2021, with a functional capacity of                           approximately 700 students upon completion, a mobile unit on site could alleviate the capacity                           issues from additional students at West Royalty Elementary if Option 2 is selected while                           construction is underway.     

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Background Elementary Option 3:   Rezone students living on North River Road, Churchill Avenue, Peake Street, Windsor Street, Spring                           Street, Villa Avenue, Victoria Street, Green Street, Highland Avenue, McGill Avenue, Greenfield                       Avenue, Ambrose Street, Pembrooke Terrace, Vail Drive and Greenfield Avenue who are currently                         zoned for West Kent Elementary and who are in the English program to St. Jean Elementary.   This rezoning could allow students who are currently being bussed to West Kent Elementary to                             attend St. Jean Elementary. This would result in 66 students in the English program being moved                               from West Kent Elementary to St. Jean Elementary.   This would require finding new office space for several educational organizations utilizing the                         rooms currently available at St. Jean Elementary.    

   

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Secondary  As the Public Schools Branch received feedback from the public consultations at the intermediate and senior high school levels, it became clear that there are a number of options that could solve the capacity issues at both levels or could build upon each other. Below is an overview of options for the secondary level, which is inclusive of intermediate and senior high school grades (7-12). Summary of Recommended Options for Secondary:   Secondary Option 1 Build an addition on Queen Charlotte Intermediate to accommodate 200 students to meet                         enrolment projections and leave some room for growth or rezoning from Birchwood Intermediate,                         if needed.  Secondary Option 2 Acquire property to build a Stratford Secondary (grades 7-12) in Stratford to accommodate                         intermediate and senior high school students for a population of 1400 students. Rezone all students                             living in the Stratford zone who are currently zoned for Birchwood Intermediate and Charlottetown                           Rural Senior High to the 7-12 school in Stratford. Rezone all students living in the Donagh zone who                                   are currently zoned for Stonepark Intermediate and Charlottetown Rural Senior High to the 7-12                           school in Stratford. Redistribute remaining intermediate and senior high school students between                       the three existing intermediate and two senior high schools.  Secondary Option 3 Acquire property to build a senior high school (grades 10-12) in Stratford. Rezone all students living in the Stratford zone and the Donagh zone who are currently zoned for Charlottetown Rural Senior High to the 10-12 school in Stratford. Redistribute remaining senior high school students between the two existing senior high schools.  Secondary Option 4 Build an addition onto Charlottetown Rural Senior High to accommodate 300 or more additional                           students with the possibility of rezoning some students from Colonel Gray Senior High to                           Charlottetown Rural Senior High.   Secondary Option 5 Build an addition onto Colonel Gray Senior High to accommodate 300 additional students.    

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  Overview of Secondary Options  

 As shown above, Queen Charlotte Intermediate will experience overcapacity issues beginning in                       2019. As a result of rezoning in 2017, Stonepark will remain under-capacity. Birchwood Intermediate                           population will increase steadily and may be over capacity by 2023.   Addition to Birchwood Intermediate  An addition to Birchwood Intermediate was considered to alleviate the capacity issue at Queen                           Charlotte Intermediate, however; an addition and renovation was completed to Birchwood                     Intermediate in the nineties. This addition significantly reduced the greenspace, therefore;                     additional construction on the Birchwood Intermediate site is not possible due to an unacceptable                           amount of remaining green space.       

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Background Secondary Option 1:   Build an addition on Queen Charlotte Intermediate to accommodate 200 students to meet                         enrolment projections and leave some room for growth or rezoning from Birchwood Intermediate,                         if needed.  Addition to Queen Charlotte Intermediate  A solution for the intermediate level is to add an addition on the back of Queen Charlotte                                 Intermediate to accommodate the growing population. The addition would encompass six                     classrooms and a new gym and increase the capacity by 200. The addition would result in the loss                                   of one softball diamond for the school system.  Construction of the Queen Charlotte Intermediate addition would take approximately two to three                         years for planning, design and construction.  

Option  Students  Grades  Project Estimate 

1  200  7 to 9  $9,500,000 

 

  

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Background Secondary Option 2:    Acquire property to build a Stratford Secondary (grades 7-12) in Stratford to accommodate                         intermediate and senior high school students for a population of 1400 students. Rezone all students                             living in the Stratford zone who are currently zoned for Birchwood Intermediate and Charlottetown                           Rural Senior High to the 7-12 school in Stratford. Rezone all students living in the Donagh Regional                                 zone who are currently zoned for Stonepark Intermediate and Charlottetown Rural Senior High to                           the 7-12 school in Stratford. Redistribute remaining intermediate and senior high school students                         between the three existing intermediate and two senior high schools.   Stratford Secondary  There is a solution that would alleviate the infrastructure constraints for all three intermediate                           schools and the two senior high schools in the Charlottetown Family of Schools. If there was a                                 school built in Stratford to accommodate all students from Stratford Elementary and Donagh                         Regional, then that would support all current enrolment projections and leave some room for                           growth. Baragar suggests that there would be 1120-1200 students including French Immersion for a                           Stratford 7-12 school by 2023 from the Stratford and Donagh areas. A 1400 student school would be                                 advisable to allow for future growth in this area.     

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 Infrastructure Development Consideration of a Stratford Secondary   Construction of a new Stratford Secondary could take approximately three years for site selection,                           planning, design, construction and occupancy.  The project costs for a new Stratford Secondary would be primarily affected by the number of                               students and to a minor extent the grade levels that were accommodated. Cost estimates for                             various options are summarized below:  

Option  Students  Grades  Project Estimate 

1  1,400  7 to 12  $59,500,000 

2  1,200  7 to 12  $51,400,000 

3  800  9 to 12  $34,400,000 

4  800  10 to 12  $34,400,000 

 The project cost for a new Stratford Secondary would be primarily based on the number of                               students the school was designed to accommodate. Space for a secondary gymnasium and music                           room has been included in the estimates for the 1,200 to 1,400 student schools.  Site Investigation   The Public Schools Branch should further examine possible sites for a potential 7-12 and a 10-12                               school in Stratford to confirm a site is available and acceptable and a more accurate assessment of                                 land purchase can be acquired.  Site selection and associated land purchase could be time consuming, the estimate has included                           the allowance for 20 acres of undeveloped land.   Positive Outcomes of a Stratford Secondary Build  Capacity in the Charlottetown Family of Schools Community Support/Involvement Room to grow in Stratford and Charlottetown area to meet population strategy Transportation Efficiency Operational Efficiency     

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Rezoning of Charlottetown Schools if Stratford Secondary was Built  If the Public Schools Branch builds a 7-12 facility in Stratford that would alleviate the overcrowding                               at the intermediate and senior high school levels in the five schools in Charlottetown. There would                               be subsequent rezoning that would need to occur to support this change. If a new secondary                               school is built in Stratford rezoning of the three Charlottetown intermediates and the two senior                             high schools would be needed to create balance and allow room for growth. If intermediate                             students from Stratford Elementary and Donagh Regional were zoned for a Stratford Secondary                         that would leave approximately 1430-1570 intermediate students for the three Charlottetown                     intermediate schools. 

Background Secondary Option 3:   Acquire property to build a senior high school (grades 10-12) in Stratford. Rezone all students living in the Stratford zone and the Donagh zone who are currently zoned for Charlottetown Rural Senior High to the 10-12 school in Stratford. Redistribute remaining senior high school students between the two existing senior high schools.  Following on the information provided above regarding a Stratford Secondary, the Public Schools                         Branch could acquire land to build a 10-12 school in Stratford. The senior high school would house                                 up to 800 students from Stratford and Donagh and rezone senior high school students in                             Charlottetown to Colonel Gray Senior High and Charlottetown Rural Senior High schools. This                         option could be partnered with building an addition to Queen Charlotte Intermediate to support                           the enrolment projections at the intermediate level.  If a Stratford Secondary is built to house senior high students who live in the Stratford and Donagh                                   area (525-625 students) that would leave 1600-1900 students for the two Charlottetown senior high                           schools. As the functional capacity is 950 students for both Charlottetown Rural Senior High and                             Colonel Gray Senior High, this option would not cause a detrimental drop in the populations at the                                 Charlottetown senior high schools or result in changes in programming.          

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Background Secondary Option 4:  Build an addition onto Charlottetown Rural Senior High to accommodate 300 or more additional students with the possibility of rezoning some students from Colonel Gray Senior High to Charlottetown Rural Senior High.   Construct an addition to Charlottetown Rural Senior High for 300 students to accommodate                         projected student levels at Charlottetown Rural Senior High to 2023.  Addition to Charlottetown Rural Senior High  Charlottetown Rural Senior High School was constructed in the 1960s, followed by a major addition                             and renovation in the 1990s to accommodate 950 students. The amount of staff and student                             parking was limited in the 1990s due to available land and desire for sports fields. The amount of                                   parking provided currently is inadequate and if there was an addition on the current building,                             additional parking would have to be found.   

      

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If the Public Schools Branch was to approve an addition for 300 additional students it would need                                 to include: 

● 12 standard classrooms ● Gym ● Student washrooms ● 2 teacher planning rooms ● 2 small group rooms ● Second floor access, if two story addition was developed 

 School bus storage/parking as well as open green spaces are located between the north side of the                                 school and soccer field, the space could be used for an addition to Charlottetown Rural Senior                               High, including additional parking, if:  

1. The bus storage/parking area was relocated to the new Transportation, Infrastructure and                       Energy depot in Brackley; 

2. The entrance driveway into the school board maintenance building was relocated                     northward toward the soccer field; and 

3. A secondary student entrance and parking area was developed as part of the addition  

  

   

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 Infrastructure Development Considerations of an Addition to Charlottetown Rural Senior High  Construction of the Charlottetown Rural Senior High addition would take approximately two years                         for planning, design, relocation of bus storage/parking, and construction. If necessary, the                       Charlottetown Rural Senior High addition could be a three story design instead of the proposed                             two story to accommodate a greater number of students.   

Option  Students  Grades  Project Estimate 

1  300  10 to 12  $13,100,000 

    

    

  

 

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Background Secondary Option 5:  Build an addition onto Colonel Gray Senior High to accommodate 300 additional students.  Colonel Gray Senior High Addition  Like Charlottetown Rural Senior High, Colonel Gray Senior High was built in the 1960s, followed by a                                 major addition and renovation in 1990s, which provided approximately 140,000 sq ft to                         accommodate approximately 1000 students. As noted above, the current functional capacity is 950                         students.   The amount of parking that is available currently is inadequate to meet the needs of staff and                                 students; increasing the number of students will create further pressure on the situation. 

 Infrastructure Development Considerations of an Addition to Colonel Gray Senior High Construction of the Colonel Gray Senior High addition, if approved, would take approximately two                           and a half years for planning, design and construction.  If the Public Schools Branch was to approve an addition for 300 additional students it would need                                 to include: 

● 12 standard classrooms ● Gym ● Student washrooms ● 2 teacher planning rooms ● 2 small group rooms ● Second floor access, if two story addition was developed 

 

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Option  Students  Grades  Project Estimate 

1  300  10 to 12  $12,000,000 

  

   It may be possible to construct the required addition at the northeast corner of the school, the                                 addition would extend out of the edge of the sidewalk and partially fill in the green area in front of                                       the main entrance. Construction work on the Colonel Gray Senior High site would be challenging                             due to the lack of space for staging as well as student disruption.   Additional staff and student parking cannot be developed on the Colonel Gray Senior High site and                               obtaining a development permit without providing additional parking could be challenging.   

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Concurrent Development If the Public Schools Branch does not proceed with developing a school in Stratford for                             intermediate and senior high school students, the additions to the high schools in Charlottetown                           and Queen Charlotte Intermediate would be required to meet enrolment projections. Below shows                         an example of the total budgets and timelines for development in both scenarios.  Scenario #1 Stratford Secondary  

 Stratford Secondary (1,200-1,400)  $51,400,000-$59,500,000   

  Scenario 2 Additions to Colonel Gray Senior High, Charlottetown Rural Senior High and Queen                           Charlotte Intermediate (including a new gym)   Colonel Gray (300) $12,000,000  Charlottetown Rural (300) $13,100,000 Queen Charlotte (200) $9,500,000 Total (800) $34,600,000  

   

  

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Areas of Further Research Based on the above options, further research is needed in several areas to determine all                             implications regarding costing, zoning, land and infrastructure needs as well as creating the best                           learning environments for Island students.  Should the Board of Directors of the Public Schools Branch move forward with the option for a new                                   school build in Stratford research will be needed to determine an optimal location based on                             available land for purchase. Important considerations will be multiple-road access to the facilities,                         access to green space and sport facilities and determining a location that can support additional                             traffic flow without negatively affecting traffic and travel in that area.   If a Stratford Secondary was built, further research should be done to evaluate possible scenarios                             for rezoning the intermediate and high schools in the Charlottetown Family of Schools to                           determine the best-possible scenario for programming and learning environments for each school,                       as well as examining a phased approach to moving students to their new zones to minimize                               disruption in student learning. In addition, the Board should explore options for community                         partnerships and exploratory programming for trades offerings at the high school levels to provide                           all high schools with equitable access to programs.   The Charlottetown Family of Schools continues to face changing class composition. There should                         be a review of programming and resourcing to ensure that all best practices are being                             implemented across Charlottetown schools to support all students and staff. Additionally, rezoning                       should continue to be explored even after decisions are made at this time as resourcing needs and                                 community growth are always evolving and reflecting population changes and capacity                     capabilities.              

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Conclusion The Public Schools Branch recognizes the impact on the six schools identified due to increasing                             enrolments and population demands. The Public Schools Branch strives to work with all                         stakeholders to create the best learning environments for our student population. Feedback                       received during this consultation has been thoroughly considered and appreciated as we move                         forward to address infrastructure capacity and create new initiatives to improve the education                         system as a whole.       

    

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