Michael Strembitsky School overcrowding plan frustrates parents

The bumper-to-bumper traffic outside Michael StrembitskySchool in the morning is a telling signthere's a problem.

"Look at this. This is insane!"said parent Cynthia Khan. "Kids are always late for school because of the traffic," Khan has 4 kids who attend the busy school, but that's all going to change starting next fall.

On Thursday,Edmonton Public Schools announced a plan that would see all eightkindergarten classes at Michael Strembitsky movingseven kilometres north to Satoo Elementary School.

• MichaelStrembitskySchool struggling with too many students
• EPSB unveils drastic changes to address school overcrowding
• New schools already need to restrict enrolment

For Khan,who moved from within the boundaries to a house across the street from Strembitsky, this marksthe second time the family has had to deal with change.

"We decided to build a house right across the street from the school so our kids could walk to school and it would just be convenient and now we're kicked out again," she said. "It's not one blow. It's a second blow for us and our family and our kids."

And she's isn't alone. Other parents in the community are also frustrated.

"What can you do?This community is growing too fast," says Arthy Jeya.

The young motherhas one son enrolled in kindergarten at Strembitsky. Next fall he will have to ride a busto SatooElementary School in Mill Woods.

Her younger son is starting kindergarten next fall but she's still not sure where.

School near capacity at opening

Jeya's home is just blocks away from Strembitsky, but it's outside of the boundary. She's hoping the two new public schools andCatholic school nowunder construction in the neighbourhood will relievesome of the pressure.

"We built our house seven years ago because we knew there was going to be a school here, but now we have no access to this school," saidJeya. "There are two new schools which are still under construction but they're late. They were supposed to open this September but I think they're one year late."

Michael Strembitsky was already close to capacity when it opened in September of 2012, leading the board to restrict enrolment to families who live within the attendance area.

"It's our goal as soon as possible to have kids learning as close to home as possible, " said Chris Wright, manager ofinfrastructure for Edmonton Public Schools.

In a report released last November the school board cited the pressure is a result due to the number of children under the age of four having grown from 550 kids to 880, an extra 330 children.

"Central to any plan, and central to the families in southeast Edmonton, is the construction of new schools and we fully anticipate the school construction to be on schedule," said Wright.

"We're really looking forward to that. It's an important piece of any plan for the growth that we see in some neighbourhoods in southeast Edmonton."

It's a plan many parents in the community of Summerside would argue has failed them, as they scramble to figure out what they're going to do for next fall.