10 portable classrooms ordered as enrolment grows in Moncton schools

Another 10 portable classrooms are being added to overcrowded schools in the Anglophone East School District to accommodate students in the upcoming school year. 

Greg Ingersoll, superintendent of the Anglophone East School District, said population growth and the reintroduction to early French immersion are causing some schools to run out of space for students.

"In certain areas in our school catchments there's growth," Ingersoll said.

Ingersoll uses the example of Moncton's north end, where population is continuing to grow, resulting in portable classrooms being added to Northrop Frye School in the area. 

"That's continuing to be a major growth area," he said.  

Another 10 portable classrooms

The Moncton school will get two portable classrooms and eight more will be installed at four other schools throughout the district.

There will be three at Riverview East School, three at Bessborough School and one at Birchmount School in Moncton and one at the Shediac Cape School.

Right now, there are already six portable classrooms in schools across the district.

Four of those portables have already been added to the Arnold H. McLeod School in the city's east end over the last two years to help with overcrowding. 

"In Riverview, specifically in the area of the Riverview East School is located is another area that's growing very rapidly. This year we had no choice but to add portables to that school."

Meanwhile, a new middle school is being built in Moncton's north end to help alleviate overcrowding in the two kindergarten to Grade 8 schools, Northup Frye and Evergreen Park School.

The school is expected to open next year.

"Even though once we do that and have a little bit of room in the north end, projection over the next 15 years, it's going to continue to grow," he said. "So probably all three will be full again at some point." 

A good problem to have

The reintroduction to early French immersion in Grade 1 and this coming year to Grade 2, means there's not enough classrooms to go around, Ingersoll said. 

The population growth in the city and region is bucking the trend compared to other parts of the province where student enrolment is declining. 

"We're used to dealing with declining enrolment but we're not used to dealing with growth," Ingersoll said. 

"It's a good problem because we're growing and that's great but it does create space issues and making sure every school can offer all the programs that a new school should be able to offer."

Ingersoll said in some situations if growth continues, a new wing could possibly be built onto the school to help. But in other areas, it might not be possible. 

In the meantime, portables are a temporary solution.

"Each situation is unique but the best well turned plan is obviously to have enough classrooms in the school for all the students to access all the programs equally," he said.