The Prince Albert Catholic School Division says École St. Mary High School’s status as a dual track school is behind the request to add two relocatable classrooms.
School division trustees voted to submit an application for two new classrooms to the Ministry of Education at their regular meeting on Monday. Director of Education Lorel Trumier said they made the application due to growing enrolments and the need to run programming in two languages.
“This year financial literacy is a required course, and we now need space to do it both in English and in French for all of our students,” Trumier said.
“Even if we do the financial literacy in English, we still need a stream so that our French immersion students can take the class and it’s not always at the same time as the others because the class is full.”
Trumier said that Financial Literacy was an ideal example of how they are growing in need for space and programming.
“As we evolve, we grow and want to ensure that we have the space to do it. We’re hoping to get a couple portables there, stacked portables to do that work at St. Mary and we’ve made the application again,” she said.
This is the fifth consecutive year the board has submitted a request for relocatable classrooms. Without the new classrooms, reads a board memo, the school may struggle to address future student population levels. The division has already submitted the application ahead of the deadline, which was on Oct. 24.
Dual track schools require spaces for both English and French Immersion students at each level.
With school/city joint committee on hold Catholic Division plans meeting with Mayor
The City of Prince Albert has placed a hold on all committees as the city works on a new Strategic Plan.
One of those committees is the city/school board Liaison committee. In May, the Prince Albert School Division wrote the city to ask the status of the committee.
In a response from City Clerk Terri Mercier she explained that Mayor Bill Powalinsky was open to meeting with all school boards in a setting away from the committee.
“We’re pleased that the city mayor will meet with our committee,” Trumier said. “We haven’t had a chance to meet with our new mayor per se, because we generally would meet in a joint board meeting with the city.”
Trumier added that the board would like to talk with Powalinsky about successes and challenges in schools so he can have an understanding about what the division is trying to accomplish.
“The mayor has opened the door for us. We’ll ask for some dates and times and try to meet with him here,” Trumier said.
Mercier said in her letter that an annual meeting is important for collaboration.
The City will advise divisions once the Strategic Plan is completed but Mercier advised the division to book a meeting.
Once the Strategic Plan is approved the city will be holding a comprehensive review of all city committees to determine future directions.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
