MONTREAL -- The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) is set to decide the fates of several east-end schools by the end of this month.
Representatives from General Vanier Elementary School and John Paul I Junior High School pleaded their cases Wednesday evening to Marlene Jennings, a former Liberal MP who was appointed by the Quebec government as an administrator overseeing the school board.
"It's a difficult decision, but it’s a decision, hopefully, that will ensure, in the medium and long-term, that our system will continue to be viable and continue to produce the best results of any school board across the province," Jennings stated.
The two schools were forced out of their buildings last summer to make room for overcrowding at the French-language Pointe-de-l'Île School Board (CSPI). Now, the EMSB says it is deciding whether it will merge or close the schools.
"We kept those two schools operational because we needed a quick fix. So, now we need more of a long-term plan for them,” explained EMSB spokesperson Mike Cohen. “We'll see what happens."
Some of the possibilities include merging General Vanier with another school in the Saint-Léonard borough – it is currently sharing with Pierre de Coubertin Elementary School.
“We all feel that pressure, it’s just a reality of the east-end schools right now,” said Maria Corsi, a governing board member. "Pierre de Coubertin is ready, willing and able to accept the transfer of the General Vanier students."
John Paul I Junior is currently sharing with Laurier Macdonald High School and officials say they could either decide to keep the situation as is or formally merge the schools.
In addition, St. Dorothy Elementary School and Our Lady of Pompei Elementary School may be merged into one, while Lester B. Pearson High School could be moved to a new building altogether.
"Among our parents, there were two schools that were the main schools of choice where they saw themselves moving forward,” explained Assunta Iasenzaniro, a member with the General Vanier governing board. “We feel that it’s only fair that each school be given a chance to have an increase in enrolment, not one versus the other."
The EMSB was placed under trusteeship last November as a result of the "appalling situation" education ministry investigators observed at the board, according to Quebec Education Minister Jean-François Roberge.
Some of the proposed changes could be in effect as early as the next academic year.
Consultations continue on Thursday evening and Jennings is expected to make her decision on Jan. 20.
