10 portable classrooms ordered as enrolment grows in Moncton schools

Another 10 portable classroomsare being added to overcrowdedschools in theAnglophone East School District to accommodatestudents in the upcoming school year.

GregIngersoll, superintendent of the Anglophone East School District,saidpopulation growthand the reintroduction to early French immersion arecausing some schools to run out of space forstudents.

"In certain areas in our school catchments there's growth," Ingersoll said.

Ingersoll uses the example of Moncton'snorth end, where population is continuing to grow, resulting in portable classrooms being added to Northrop Frye School in thearea.

"That's continuing to be a major growth area," he said.

Another 10 portable classrooms

The Moncton school will get two portable classroomsand eight more will be installed at four otherschools throughout the district.

There will be three atRiverview East School, three atBessboroughSchool and one at BirchmountSchool in Monctonand one at the Shediac Cape School.

Right now, there are already six portable classroomsinschools across the district.

Four of those portables havealready been added to theArnold H.McLeodSchool in the city's east end over the last two years to help with overcrowding.

"InRiverview, specifically in the area of theRiverviewEast School is located is another area that's growing very rapidly. This year we had no choice but to add portables to that school."

Meanwhile, anew middle school is being built in Moncton'snorth end to help alleviate overcrowding in the two kindergarten to Grade 8 schools, Northup Frye and Evergreen Park School.

The school is expected to open next year.

"Even though once we do that and have a little bit of room in the north end, projection over the next 15 years, it's going to continue to grow," he said. "So probably all three will be full again at some point."

A good problem to have

Thereintroduction to early French immersion inGrade 1 and this coming year to Grade 2, means there's not enough classrooms to go around,Ingersollsaid.

The population growth in the city and region is bucking the trend compared to other parts of the province where student enrolment is declining.

"We're used to dealing with declining enrolment but we're not used to dealing with growth," Ingersoll said.

"It's a good problem because we're growing and that's great butit does create space issues and making sure every school can offer all the programs that a new school should be able to offer."

Ingersoll said in some situations if growth continues, a new wing could possiblybe built onto the school to help. But in other areas, it mightnot be possible.

In the meantime, portables are a temporary solution.

"Each situation is unique but the best well turned plan is obviously to have enough classrooms in the school for all the students to access all the programs equally," he said.