Anglophone East schools getting new portables to cope with student surge

Four new portable classrooms at Anglophone East School District's largest school are now ready to welcome students.

Moncton High is one of four facilities getting new portables to help accommodate the influx of students this fall.

In total, 11 new portables are being built at Moncton High School, Lewisville Middle School, Riverview East School and Petitcodiac Regional School.

The district was expecting 300 to 400 new students, but instead received 1,182.

District superintendent Randy MacLean says he was surprised by the volume of new students.

"We projected a moderate increase, based on year over year averages for the last several years, but there was no way for us to predict an almost 1,200 student increase in enrolment," said MacLean.

The district's total enrolment is currently 18,007. The expected enrolment was 16,825.

Forty new teachers and 20 support staff have been hired and the Department of Education has granted the district an extra $5.4 million in funding.

Ukrainian newcomers make up 149 of the new students.

So where are the rest of the kids coming from?

"Everywhere," said MacLean. "We have migration from within the country. Students and parents moving from Ontario, parents moving from Quebec, parents moving from Alberta, moving back home."

Moncton High School currently has 1,431 students. It was originally built to house 1,250 students without portables.

Now with a total of eight portables, is MacLean concerned about bursting at the seems?

"Is the school at more bodies than what we had hoped for? Yes. We continue to respond in terms of those needs by adding portables. At the same time, as I said in the DEC [District Education Council] meeting the other day, we'll also be doing a systemic review in terms of boundaries and catchment areas," he said.

The district has already changed boundary areas for one K-8 school in the city to try and reduce the strain on Moncton High. It will also continue to explore options for boundary changes as a means of potentially alleviating some of the space issues at several of its schools.

Students are expected to move into the new portables at Moncton High this week. Four portables at Riverview East are scheduled to open in early November. One portable at Lewisville Middle School is expected to open at the end of November and two portable classes at Peticodiac Regional School should be ready by the end of December.