P.E.I.’s Public Schools Branch has launched a study into where space for students is needed most urgently as 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 at Sherwood 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.
