One year reprieve for PET student

A decision was made Monday evening by the Lester B. Pearson School Board’s Council of Commissioners, who voted to keep a projected 467 students in the Bourget St. building during the 2008-2009 school years.

The French immersion program school’s maximum capacity is set at 392 students, though the building has held up to 503 students in past years, say officials.

Board chairman Marcus Tabachnick said Tuesday morning that while commissioners have voted to keep all PET students together next year, they do reserve the right to revisit the decision should enrolment numbers climb further after the often busy summer moving season.

Commissioners debated the issue for more than an hour, said Tabachnick, adding that a handful of parents and teachers’ union representatives also gave input.

“There is obviously no consensus in the community,” Tabachnick noted. “We had four people speak and we were given three different opinions.”

During a public information meeting held earlier this month many PET parents publicly supported moving five classes of incoming kindergarten students next year to another Lester B. Pearson School; Mount Pleasant School, in Hudson.

This week’s decision buys the board more time in which to push provincial officials to approve a new English elementary school in the region.

PET’s governing board had resolved earlier this month to support the board in its efforts to see a new school built in the region, adding that the board should consider at the same time the possibility of enlarging the school building.

Pearson Director General Bob Mills confirmed that the board’s administration had submitted three alternatives to be considered by commissioners Monday night.

The first, which was supported by administration, said Mills, included maintaining the status quo for the 08/09 school years.

The second alternative would have seen possibly some Grade 5, all Grade 6 classes “moved to Westwood Jr. (high school in St. Lazare) for one, two or three years depending on the decision of the province for a new school.”

The final choice given to commissioners included annexing another school building for PET students and teachers.

Tabachnick feels commissioners made the right choice this week in the short term.

“At the end of the day we did the right thing…if we can keep the kids together, lets do that,” he said.

The next order of business, Tabachnick added, is to continue pressuring education officials to approve a new school as soon as possible.

“We need the government to be more decisive,” Tabachnick said. “When it’s an emergency it shouldn’t be based on the best photo opportunity, but on the needs of the students.”