'Not ideal for anyone': Regina Public Schools to move 200 students from Harbour Landing School
The Regina Public School Board has endorsed the school division’s proposal to have 200 students change schools next year.
The students will be moved from Harbour Landing School to Ethel Millken School. The schools are about two kilometres apart.
Harbour Landing School has a capacity of 675. As of March 15, there were 1,055 students enrolled, according to Regina Public Schools (RPS).
Because of overcrowding, RPS administration proposed a plan to temporarily divert 200 students from Harbour Landing School to Ethel Milliken School based on a boundary alteration.
“We legitimately cannot run an educational program with as many students as we have right now, if not more,” Darren Boldt, the director of education for Regina Public Schools, said.
At its meeting on Tuesday, the Regina Public School Board endorsed the move, meaning the change will officially happen.
“It’s certainly not ideal for anyone to consider a boundary change, but I feel the school division has been put in a place where essentially they’re forced to make tough decisions,” Tara Molson, the chair of the school board, said.
Throughout the month of March, RPS collected feedback from parents about the proposal through open houses, forms and emails.
Some concerns that were voiced included potential social and psychological impacts on students who would have to leave their friends, change the distance from their homes to school and disappointment in ongoing delays with a new school being built in Harbour Landing.
Community members also offered their own suggestions to combat the problem. Some of those included limiting the number of incoming students and moving one or more grades out of Harbour Landing School.
“We absolutely considered each piece of feedback,” Boldt said.
“We worked through each individual suggestion, looked at the pros, looked at the cons. Some of the suggestions are just not doable, with all due respect to the community that provided that feedback, it just wasn’t doable. We were left with very limited options.”
The boundary alterations will take effect at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. They will stay in place until the new school in Harbour Landing is complete.
That build is expected to take about three years.
“It’ll be on the west side of the existing Harbour Landing sub-development, so it’ll be adjacent to where the community has already been developed,” Education Minister Dustin Duncan said.
“SaskBuilds is working on a design as we speak and we look forward to hopefully breaking ground later this year.”
The City of Regina said an update will be announced at some point throughout the week on the new school build.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Funeral today for broadcasting legend and voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Foreign meddling 'did not affect' overall federal election results: inquiry report
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.