Families and teachers at two EMSB schools are extremely worried about what the future holds for them come September.
A letter sent from the provincial education ministry to parents Thursday evening confirmed that control of two English Montreal School Board schools will be transferred to a struggling French board for the upcoming school year.
Anger and pain was directed squarely at Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge.
“He’s doing it with two schools, both within the same vicinity, within five minutes from each other, so we just don’t even understand it,” said Veronica De Ciccio, a teacher at John Paul I.
"It is kind of upsetting to a lot of teachers and also a lot of students, because they are kind of getting pushed out of the school," said her son, Steven Silvestri, who just finished his first year at John Paul I.
John Paul I and General Vanier will both be transferred to the Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-L'Ile this summer, according to the letter. A third school, Gerald McShane, that had previously been announced to be slated for transfer will be retained by the EMSB, due to it being the only English elementary school in Montreal North.
“The current situation last left our government with no choice but to transfer General Vanier and John Paul I schools to the CSPI this summer, in the interest of all concerned,” said Roberge in the letter, adding that the decision was made due to CSPI schools "bursting at the seams."
"Students are being denied facilities that every child should have in their schools - librairies, resource rooms and computer rooms - to accommodate the influx of new students in to the board," he said.
He added that while 39 new schools are being built in the next few years across Montreal to alleviate overcrowding "we cannot abdicate our responsibilities by asking CSPI students to stay home until new schools are built."
"I have read your letters, I have met with some of you who are affected by these measures and I have listened to your concerns," he said. "I myself am a father and I understand your unease at the idea of having to change schools in such a short time."
EMSB "disappointed"
In a statement, the EMSB said the board is "deeply disappointed" by Roberge's decision.
"We are very disappointed with this news, having negotiated in good faith and having done everything possible to save these schools buildings," said EMSB Chairperson Angela Mancini. "We will now review all recourses available to us."
Mancini said she's worried about what this means for the future of the buildings.
"I think once those schools are transferred, we won't get them back in the English sector. Cohabitation would have allowed us to do that once they built schools, but the minister hasn’t even allowed us to do that. I think that's also unfortunate because the transfer of a building is very permanent. There's no option here where we'll get our buildings back in a few years," she said.
A town hall meeting for parents, administrators and EMSB governing board members of John Paul I and General Vanier will be held on July 2 at Laurier Macdonald High School. Cohen said that a contingency plan will be presented at that meeting.
Students from John Paul I are likely to be transferred to Laurier Macdonald; as for General Vanier options are still are still on the table, said Mancini.
"My wish for that community and I think that the wish for that community is that the General Vanier community moves as a whole into another building and that we do not split them apart, so I am looking at options that will allow me to do that," she said.
The CSPI also issued a statement, saying "we recognize it was a very difficult decision for the minister to make, but it was the only viable option," adding that the transfers won’t solve all of its overcrowding issues.
