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Elementary school depends on numbers

Changes to attendance numbers in Red Deer’s southeast side could mean a difference in where a child goes to a public elementary school in September 2014.

Changes to attendance numbers in Red Deer’s southeast side could mean a difference in where a child goes to a public elementary school in September 2014.

Red Deer Public Schools hosted an open house regarding elementary school boundaries on Wednesday at Eastview Middle School. It will hold another one at Hunting Hills High School on Oct. 11 from 6-8:30 p.m.

Supt. Piet Langstraat said boundary changes are rarely done in the city.

“We have some schools that are seeing some overcrowding on the southeast side of the city,” said Langstraat. “So these boundaries affects mainly the southeast quadrant of the city, where most of the enrolment pressure is and the new school is going to be.”

About five or six years ago, some changes were made to the attendance area around Mattie McCullough Elementary School where there had been overcrowding.

Changes were also made to the Glendale, G.H. Dawe and Normandeau schools when they became K-8.

The district is looking at changes based on how the new school in Timberlands would run.

It could end up being an English program only, a dual-track French immersion program, or Mountview Elementary School could end up being a single-track French immersion program. There are various scenarios for each theme.

“The Timberlands school gives us the opportunity to look at changing some of the attendance boundaries for other schools,” said Langstraat.

“Some of our schools are really overcrowded but because we had no other facility, we just made do,” said Langstraat.

Except for the first year, the library at Mattie McCullough has been used for kindergarten classes.

With Timberlands opening (2014), this will then have a direct impact on Mattie’s library situation.

Langstraat said he wants to find out from parents what they think of the various options and whether they see benefits or challenges amongst them.

Parents can provide feedback through http://www.rdpsd.ab.ca.

Recommendations will be forwarded onto the school trustees on Dec. 12.

ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com