Enrollment crunch coming for Bowes, Kearney
SD60 requesting funds for additions to middle schools
With student numbers steadily increasing, both Bert Bowes and Dr. Kearney middle schools will soon be at maximum capacity, and need to expand. These two schools are the top priorities in School District 60’s Five-Year Capital Plan, which was discussed at Monday’s board meeting.
“We’ve made the request for additions because in the next few years, we’re going to see Bert Bowes hitting their maximum for (student) numbers, and that will continue forward,” said Angela Telford, SD 60’s Secretary-Treasurer. “In about six years, we see Dr. Kearney hitting their maximum.”
The plan for Bert Bowes includes an additional six classrooms, as well as ancillary space and a gymnasium, at an estimated cost of $23.3 million. For Dr. Kearney, the District anticipates an additional eight classrooms, ancillary space and a gymnasium within the school, at an estimated cost of $21.6 million.
This year’s Capital Plan submission is based on the ten-year capital plan which was developed in 2018, said Telford. But in that plan, there was an entirely new middle school planned. “We’re still addressing the middle school need, but we’re addressing it through expansions, which is less costly,” she said. Not necessarily less costly in terms of capital, as much as the staffing costs will be less. Through the expansion models, there’s no need to staff an entire new school.
At Bert Bowes “we really just need six to eight classroom spaces, an additional gym and somewhere where the students can just be,” said Telford. “This is still in line with our long-range facility plan.”
Also in the Capital Plan, is a request to replace Charlie Lake Elementary, as well as acquiring land in the Parkland development, because once that area expands, Telford explained, it will be a key area of town.
The top priority however, is the expansion of Bert Bowes Middle School. The crunch will be coming soon, when the school population outgrows the space, and there is no overflow space available at Dr. Kearney.
“Enrollment pressures are the ones that have to be addressed, unless the school is crumbling,” said Telford.
Trustee Snow noted that there are nine portables in use at Charlie Lake.
“Portables do address the issue,” Telford said. “But it’s not ideal.”
The government on the other hand, apparently feels that portables are fine. Board Chair Helen Gilbert said that this was because “portables come out of our budget, not theirs.”
Discussion of the increasing middle school numbers lead Trustee Whitton to ask about the future of North Peace Secondary School.
“Should we not be looking at the high school as well? If we’re going to see problems in the middle schools, won’t there also be one at the high school, potentially?”
According to Superintendent of Schools Stephen Petrucci, the high school has the ability to work around higher enrollment numbers, by using a flex schedule. Prior to the second gym and addition of ten classrooms on the front of the NPSS building in 2001, this schedule was used.
“When I was there, they ran a flex schedule with five blocks per day and no common lunch hour,” Petrucci explained. “They can still move to that, but they don’t have to yet.”
“It’s about prioritizing, and the expansions to the middle schools are the priority,” he said. “We really need that gym space, the common area space, the bathrooms and a set of classrooms.”
“If we get the expansions, then there isn’t the need for portables anymore,” said Telford. “Those could, if required, move to the high school.”