Students heading back to class, and Public Schools Branch says it's ready for new year

P.E.I. Public School Branch Director Parker Grimmer sayseverything is going according to plan, as students get ready for their first dayback to school on Thursday.

"It's going well and we thank everybody for that," Grimmer told CBC's Compass. "We certainly thank parents for being great advocates for their kids but also being patient."

Grimmer said the PSBis gearing up for returning to the classroom, as well as some of the challenges they will face this year.

School rezoning process

Regarding school rezoning, Grimmer said the branch ispleased there's a process for unhappy parents.

"We've had an opportunity for them first of all to be notified, and secondly to have a process to go through if they stillweren't happy about it, to see it through to its conclusion," Grimmer said.

"Overwhelminglythe public said, through the review process, the number one thing they wanted is for kids to go the schools they were zoned to and the board of directors directed us to do so."

While there's still an appeal process in place for parents unhappy with their child's move to another school, he said those types of appeals are waning down as the school year approaches.

Watching for long bus rides

Bus routes are being monitored this year to make the commute to school more bearable for Island students, Grimmer said.

"Lots of work has gone into our transportation routesto try and make them the most efficient that they can," he said."We're monitoring those very carefully this year."

Grimmer saidIslanders do face some "economic realities" in their commutes, with only a number of buses for the province's 56 schools.

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"We want students to have great learning experiences and be engaged in schools, and we know that long bus rides don't always make for that."

'Getting new Islanders all the time'

On last-minute student registrations, Grimmer said the branchis prepared for newcomers to join Island schools.

"We're always getting new registrations, in fact we're getting new Islanders all the time," Grimmer said.

"We're also getting people, understandably, that are thinking about 'where does my child go to school?'"

Grimmer said parentscan call the Public Schools Branch if they have any questions about their child's school, or they can contact their local school principle for more information.

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