Families of west Edmonton Catholic school told students will be moved to south-side school due to overcrowding
Students at a west Edmonton Catholic school will be bused to a school in southwest Edmonton next year due to overcrowding, Edmonton Catholic Schools said in a letter to parents distributed on Thursday.
Starting in September 2023, Kindergarten to Grade 3 students in the Rosenthal and Secord neighbourhoods who would have or are currently attending Bishop David Motiuk Catholic Elementary and Junior High School will be bused to Joan Carr Catholic Elementary and Junior High in the Keswick neighbourhood, 16 kilometres away.
A Google Map shows the distance between Bishop David Motiuk Catholic Elementary and Junior High School and Joan Carr Catholic Elementary and Junior High.
Grade 4 and 5 students will be redesignated to Joan Carr, as well, in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
A new K-9 Catholic school was approved for the Lewis Farms neighbourhood in the spring, and the board anticipates it will open in September 2026, at which point the west Edmonton students will be moved to the new school.
The letter goes on to say when Bishop David Motiuk opened in 2017, it had an enrollment of 695 students.
Currently, 18 modular trailers, including two outside the school’s property, have been installed to bring the school’s capacity to 920 students.
As of Sept. 29, 2022 there were 1,381 students enrolled in the school, and the board is projecting that will jump to approximately 1,700 in the next three years.
Transportation costs for impacted students will be waived until the new school is completed.
The board says siblings of impacted students may also choose to attend Joan Carr School, but families will have to pay transportation costs.
“SAD THAT THIS WAS THE OPTION”
Marianna Tsenekos has two daughters who currently attend Bishop David Motiuk School.
“I’m a little bit disappointed that that was even an option, and sad that that was the option that was chosen,” she told CTV News Edmonton.
Her youngest daughter is currently in Grade 2, and her older daughter is in Grade 5.
Next year her youngest will be redesignated to Joan Carr School, while her oldest will have the choice to remain at Bishop David Motiuk.
“She’s going to be split up away from her older sister, and have to go to a new different school,” she said.
The family has been part of the school community since 2017.
“I’ve been part of the parent committee since just before the school opened, we have ties with the school, we love the school.”
In addition to splitting up her two girls, Tsenekos has concerns about the distance to the new school.
She says a school bus driver shortage makes it difficult for her children to get to their existing school in a timely manner.
“The bus driver that drives my girls to school has to do another route before they come and do that route, so every single day I get a notification on my phone that they’re going to be late to get picked up, and they’re going to be late to come home.”
She also worries about putting her child on a bus on Anthony Henday Drive every day.
“It’s still a long ways to go. Edmonton weather is, it can be great one day, and really, really cold the next day, so I think there is a safety concern.”
She’s frustrated that it’s taken so long to get new schools approved for the growing neighbourhoods in west Edmonton.
“Statistically, you can see that these new neighbourhoods have a lot of young families included in their population, so the province, and the city, which was issuing permits, I think have to coordinate and plan a whole lot better.”
The province tells CTV News school boards are responsible for determining school attendance areas as well as redirecting students to other schools because of capacity issues.
Edmonton Catholic Schools released the following written statement about the decision.
“There is no solution that is going to be perfect as we await the opening of the K-9 Catholic school in Lewis Farms. We know that this decision is concerning to some families, but we believe this is the best solution with the least disruptions to learning.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nahreman Issa.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.