Change (and anger) in LaVérendrye air

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This article was published 14/05/2015 (4060 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Some âcole LaVérendrye parents are considering changing schools rather than have their youngest children ride a bus each day to a school four kilometres away.

“There is a lot of emotion within the nursery to Grade 1 parents,” parent council chairwoman Stacy Huard said.

Many are enraged at the Winnipeg School Division board’s recent decision to handle overcrowding at LaVérendrye by busing the youngest children to Sir William Osler School on Grant Avenue in River Heights. But it’s not clear how many of the parents are quietly OK with the decision, Huard said.

Some are looking at moving their children to Montrose or âcole Robert H. Smith for French programming, or into English track schools closer to home, she said.

The parent council is surveying the affected families and hopes to meet with WSD board chairman Mark Wasyliw before a town hall May 26 at Kelvin High School.

LaVérendrye parent Kiri Shefto said Wednesday no other public school in Manitoba has a satellite campus for its youngest grades, yet the WSD will try it without research. “If this is being introduced as a pilot project, then fund it, study it and make sure that there is evidence that this is not detrimental to our children,” she said.

Huard was unsure how many families would switch schools, even if it meant having all siblings in one school rather than split between two.

The closest French-language education is at Montrose and Robert H. Smith, and that wouldn’t solve the daycare issue that had been one of the biggest drawbacks to the straight-up building swap with Earl Grey School, which was rejected.

Huard said the community met Tuesday and decided to conduct a survey as soon as possible. Concerned parents may also go to Education Minister James Allum to ask him to intervene, she said.

An aide to Allum said Wednesday the minister would not get involved, but expects school divisions to consult widely.

“We understand that decisions like this can have a significant impact on students and families and we expect school divisions to consult with parents and the community when undertaking major changes,” the aide said. “Ultimately, decisions around school programming and class composition are the responsibility of the locally elected trustees. School boards are not required to consult with the department.”

The WSD plan was not among options on the table in widespread consultation.

The division has not yet said whether it will build a bus loop at Sir William Osler or handle busing on the side streets.

Parents don’t know the logistics of getting their children to the buses and picking them up, whether nursery and kindergarten will have their half-days in the morning or afternoon, or whether children will be assigned into morning and afternoon classes, Huard said. “Those are all good questions we don’t have answers to yet. It sounds like a nightmare.”

Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) said he has not heard from Osler-area residents about any possible concerns.

“Ensuring a safe drop-off space is always a concern. I will reach out to the board,” he said.

The city would get involved with any bus drop-off at the curb, Orlikow said, and would likely have a say in any plans to build a bus loop on school property.

“They will likely need an easement to cross the sidewalk. The city could be involved in other ways, such as loading zones, parking restrictions, cut into the boulevard, etc., but (the city) will wait to hear back from the division.”

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca