'Tremendous' enrolment growth pushes Sask. schools to convert shared spaces into classrooms
Libraries, staff rooms, science labs among spaces lost due to overcapacity
Kathleen Eisler can't remember when enrolment wasn't a topic of discussion for families with students at Regina's Harbour Landing Elementary School.
The mother of four has sent her children there since it opened in 2017, and she joined the parent council shortly after.
Eisler has watched the overcapacity conversations evolve over the years. They've included moving the French immersion program, converting the original library space into a classroom and building a new elementary school nearby (which, although a location has been selected, the city and province are still in negotiations about).
"We are beyond [the school's] design capacity; we are now just into keeping it functional and safe," Eisler said.
After about 200 students were rezoned to other schools this fall, Eisler said that eased enrolment pressures at Harbour Landing, but the school is still packed.
"Parents are frustrated. We can't have an event with the whole school," Eisler said.
Despite enrolment numbers not being finalized until the end of the month, Regina Public Schools has already seen "tremendous enrolment growth" in both Harbour Landing and the Greens on Gardiner neighbourhoods, said spokesperson Terry Lazarou.
"Schools in those areas are near capacity and we are looking forward to working with the government of Saskatchewan to build new schools where they are needed by growing families," Lazarou said in an emailed statement, noting a high school in the southeast is still on the division's wish list.
The Regina Catholic School Division said its preliminary numbers show 13,006 students as of Sept. 1 — an increase of more than 1,000 students from the same time last year.
"A dramatic jump like that certainly has us busy adding staff, arranging for physical space for classrooms and finding more desks and other learning materials, which in turn impacts the budget," said Twylla West, the spokesperson for Regina Catholic, in an emailed statement.
In Saskatoon, that city's separate school division said it's also getting creative with space to accommodate more students.
"Growth has put a strain on the physical capacity at some of our schools," said Derrick Kunz, spokesperson for Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, in an email.
The division has been able to add portable classrooms at some schools and has converted non-classroom spaces, such as science and music rooms, into classrooms to keep class sizes manageable, he added.
Shane Skjerven, Saskatoon Public Schools' director of education, said his division is in a similar situation with its newer joint-use schools. In some cases, he said that multi-purpose and staff rooms have been closed off to provide extra space.
"It's not ideal, but just given the growth that we have in those schools, we need to do that," Skjerven said.
Most of the divisions said, even with the increased enrolment, they aim to keep class sizes under 25 students. However, they noted that's not always possible, especially in high schools.
New schools fill up fast
Similar to Harbour Landing School in Regina, Skjerven said Chief Whitecap School in Saskatoon's Stonebridge area was also at capacity very soon after opening.
The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) said it's become a common theme across the province.
"Any time there is a new school that has been announced, that new school is already full before it reaches the completion of its construction. It always seems like we're playing catch-up," STF president Samantha Becotte said.
On top of people moving into the city from rural areas, Skjerven said many schools have seen an increased newcomer population, which means more demand for English as an additional language (EAL) and resource teachers.
"We're trying to get to a ratio that works, and our classrooms in Saskatoon today are far more complex than they were five or 10 years ago," he said.
$40M funding boost not enough, STF says
The Saskatchewan government said in an emailed statement that it's aware of projected increased enrolment and is "committed to funding enrolment growth."
It said that last year and this year, the government provided $7 million to hire more educational assistants and that the last provincial budget included a $16-million capital investment to help pay for more portable classrooms. The statement also noted that in June, the government announced a $40-million funding boost to be split between addressing high enrolment and hiring more staff.
Becotte said even with that cash injection, most divisions have had to cut staff. Skjerven said Saskatoon Public is among them.
"We have a tremendous, highly skilled and qualified teaching staff here in Saskatoon's public schools, and we have great faith in them that they can meet [students'] needs as best they can," he said.
"But it is becoming more challenging, there's no doubt about it."
As a mother of two school-aged kids in Saskatoon, Amanda Spenst finds that concerning.
"There are students that I know of with diagnosed learning disabilities that may or may not qualify for support just because there isn't enough funding," she said.
"I just don't know how we can be letting our students down like that, especially after COVID where we know that students are behind and students need more support."
Spenst said she's noticed the effects of increased enrolment at crowded bus stops in suburbs like Stonebridge.
She said her Grade 9 son has trouble getting to and from school, due to student overcrowding on buses.
WATCH | A look at how overcrowded some Saskatoon buses are for high school students:
Becotte said the STF continues to take families' and educators' concerns to the Ministry of Education as it proceeds with contract negotiations.
"Parents are frustrated. Teachers are frustrated. And, unfortunately, kids are the ones that are paying the price," she said.
"Parents and teachers are trying to work their magic to try and support all of these kids. But we can't do it alone. We need the government to be working with us to ensure every kid is supported across the province."
The STF and provincial government are scheduled to have their final set of bargaining meetings next month.
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