1. Eastern School District School Organization Plan
Dr. Alex (Sandy) MacDonald
Superintendent of Education
January 7, 2009

2. Chronology
Nov./06
- Request to Department to complete study on impact of declining enrollment in public school system.
Aug./08
- Presentation by Department of Education to ESD on Provincial Declining Enrollment Study
Sept./08
- Request from Department of Education for an ESD School Organization Plan by Dec. 31/08
Dec.17/08
- School Organization Report presented to ESD Trustees

3. Chronology (Continued)
Jan. 7/09
School Organization Report released to public
Jan. 7-April 7/09
Ninety-day public consultation process
May 31/09
Deadline for ESD submission to Provincial
Government

4. ESD Enrollment by School (Grades 1-9)
School Grades Change
(Actual) (Actual)
Belfast Consolidated %
Birchwood Intermediate %
Cardigan Consolidated %
Central Queens Elementary %
Donagh Regional %
Dundas Consolidated %
East Wiltshire Intermediate %
Eastern Kings Consolidated %
Eliot River Elementary %
Englewood School %
Fortune Consolidated %
Georgetown Elementary
Glen Stewart Elementary
Grand Tracadie Elementary %
Gulf Shore Consolidated %
L.M. Montgomery Elementary %
Montague Consolidated %
Montague Intermediate %
Morell Consolidated %

5. ESD Enrollment by School (Grades 1-9)
School Grades Change
(Actual) (Actual)
Mt. Stewart Consolidated %
Parkdale Elementary %
Prince Street Elementary %
Queen Charlotte Intermediate %
Rollo Bay Consolidated %
Sherwood Elementary %
Souris Consolidated ✚3%
Southern Kings Consolidated %
Spring Park Elementary %
St. Jean Elementary %
St. Peter’s Consolidated %
St. Teresa’s Consolidated %
Stonepark Intermediate ✚14%
Tracadie Cross Consolidated %
Vernon River Consolidated %
West Kent Elementary ✚44%
West Royalty Elementary %
Westwood Primary %

6. Eastern School District has lost approximately 2,000 students in the past seven years – 2001-2008
Twenty elementary schools have lost between 30-50% of students in the past decade

7. School Statistics 7 schools with 50 or fewer students
7 schools where all 1-6 students are in split grades
7 schools where:
a) 0 grade 1 students
b) 1 grade 1 student
c) split grade 1/2 class
10 schools with fewer than 100 students

8. Enrollment Projections: 2008-2017
Souris Schools — -25%
Morell Schools — -28%
Montague Schools — -25%
Colonel Gray Schools — -15%
Bluefield Schools — -6%
Charlottetown Rural — -5%
Schools

9. The “So What” Question ➀ Breadth/Depth of Programming
Physical education, music, resource-based learning (library)
➁ The scope of Student Support Services
Guidance, special education, resource, Reading Recovery®
➂ The Teaching - Learning Process
Multiple grades, multiple subjects, little supervision/support, little collaboration with same grade/subject peers
➃ Diversity
Nine smallest schools - smallest grades range from 1 to 5 students

10. Suggested Groupings School numbers should be sufficient to warrant:
➝ At least two teachers per grade
➝ students per grades 1-3
➝ students per grades 4-6
➝ Grade 1-6 configuration
- approximately students

11. Advantages Single grade classrooms
Greater student access to trained specialist teachers and programs and services they offer (physical education, music, French, resource-based learning [library], guidance, resource, computer studies, etc.)
Greater numbers of student role models
Broader and deeper collaboration between and among teachers
Improved administrative support and supervision

12. Recommendations Souris Family of Schools
1. The Eastern Kings Consolidated School be permanently closed. All grade 1-7 students will be enrolled in Souris Consolidated School and all grade 8 students enrolled in Souris High School.
2. The Fortune Consolidated School be permanently closed. All students will be enrolled in Souris Consolidated School.

13. Recommendations Souris Family of Schools (Cont’d)
3. The Rollo Bay Consolidated School be permanently closed. All grade 5-7 students will be enrolled in Souris Consolidated School and all grade 8 students enrolled in Souris High School.
4. The Souris Consolidated School be rezoned to a grade 1-7 configuration. A detailed rezoning report will be made public by December 2009 with implementation to take place September All grade 8 students attending Souris Consolidated for September 2009 will be given the option of attending Souris High School.

14. Recommendations Souris Family of Schools (Cont’d)
5. The Eastern School District ask the Provincial Department of Education to begin the planning of a single K-12 facility in Souris to serve all Souris and area students under a single administration. It is beyond the scope of this report to recommend that a new K-12 facility be constructed or Souris Consolidated/Souris High be remodeled. Regardless, a single K-12 facility in Souris designed to meet the curricular needs of these students is a necessity.
6. The Souris Kindergarten/Daycare be moved to accommodate the incoming students from Eastern Kings, Rollo Bay and Fortune schools.

15. Recommendations Morell Family of Schools
1. The Tracadie Cross Consolidated School should be permanently closed. These students should attend Mt. Stewart Consolidated School.
2. The St. Teresa’s Consolidated School should be permanently closed. These students should attend Mt. Stewart Consolidated School.
3. The St. Peter’s Consolidated School should be permanently closed. These students should attend Morell Consolidated School.

16. Recommendations Montague Family of Schools
1. Dundas School to close. Grade 1-6 students to attend Cardigan Consolidated and grade 7-8 students to attend Montague Intermediate School.
2. Georgetown School to close. Grade 1-6 students to attend Cardigan Consolidated and grade 7-8 students to attend Montague Intermediate.
3. Grade 7-8 students at Cardigan Consolidated be rezoned to Montague Intermediate. A detailed rezoning report will be made public by Dec with implementation to take place Sept These students will be given the option to attend Montague Intermediate for Sept

17. Recommendations Charlottetown Rural Family of Schools
1. Grand Tracadie School to close. All students to be enrolled in L.M. Montgomery School.
2. The ESD ask the Department of Education to construct a new grades 4-6 facility in Stratford as close as possible to the existing Glen Stewart School.

18. Recommendations Charlottetown Rural Family of Schools (Cont’d)
3. Glen Stewart School be rezoned to accommodate incoming kindergarten students. A detailed rezoning report will be made public by Dec with implementation to take place in Sept
4. Stonepark Intermediate School be rezoned from its over 800 students to approximately 600 students. A detailed rezoning report will be made public by Dec with implementation to take place in Sept

19. Recommendations Colonel Gray Family of Schools
1. The St. Jean Elementary School should be permanently closed and the students transferred to West Kent Elementary.
2. The Parkdale Elementary School should be closed and the students transferred to Prince Street Elementary School.
3. The catchment area of Birchwood Intermediate School should be rezoned to increase its population to approximately 500 students. A detailed rezoning report will be made public prior to December 31, 2009 with implementation occurring September 2010.
4. The catchment area of West Royalty Elementary should be rezoned to accommodate the incoming kindergarten students. A detailed rezoning report will be made public prior to December 31, 2009 with implementation occurring September 2010.

20. Recommendation Bluefield Family of Schools
1. The Westwood Primary School should be immediately renovated to accommodate the incoming kindergarten cohort. Its configuration should remain at K-3.

21. 158 staff directly affected
900 students relocated
158 staff directly affected
70 teachers, 22 administrators, 26 educational assistants, 15 bus drivers, 14 custodian cleaners, 11 administrative assistants

22. Time Frame School closures to take effect September 2009
School rezoning to take effect September 2010