Twenty-six new portable classes added to growing N.B. school district

Many students in Greater Moncton and the surrounding area will be taking classes in portables when they return to school next week. The Anglophone East School District has put in 26 new portable classrooms this year, for a total of 85.

The district's enrolment has soared to 20,179 students, the highest it's even been and up by more than 4,000 students since 2018.

In an interview with CTV News on Thursday, district superintendent Randy MacLEAN talked about the challenges of having more students at Anglophone East's 40 schools.

"Is it bursting at the seems? In some places yes, in some places no," said MacLEAN. "Some schools are wall to wall and some schools we have space."

MacLEAN said the opening of the new Wabanaki middle school in west end Moncton should reduce pressure on some other facilities. The school isn’t 100 per cent ready, but over 700 students are expected to start classes next week.

"We are registering 35 students a day right now and we have been for the last several days," MacLEAN said.

Moncton High, the largest school in the district, opened in 2015 with a capacity of around 1,200. It has over 1,600 students now. There are now 16 portables to accommodate the additional need.

The Moncton High School is pictured, a brick building with hanging banners.

"We're looking at what the options are in some areas where students move in that we could be re-routing students to other areas, but we're still working through what that may look like," said MacLEAN.

New anglophone K-12 schools in Dieppe and Shediac will take pressure off Moncton High, but the buildings won't open for a few years.

Moncton High Parent School Support Committee member Evan Hambrook said he's concerned about the quality of education that can be provided in such an overcrowded school.

"We have received assurances from the superintendent that there will be no additional portables added to MHS, but how can you provide a quality education to kids when the cafeteria and library are being used as your class?" said Hambrook.

Hambrook said the new schools in Dieppe and Shediac Cape are still two-to-three years away with no short-term plan.

"Our provincial education department and schools provide grades to our students. Where is the parents’ opportunity to grade the quality of education that is being provided?" said Hambrook.

Superintendent of the Anglophone East School District Randy MacLEAN is pictured sitting at his office desk in Moncton.

MacLEAN said the main reason for the drastic increase in students is the number of newcomers to the area.

"About two-thirds of our new enrolment is new Canadians and a third are Canadians moving from within," said MacLEAN.

The district is also in need of staff. MacLEAN said his greatest challenge is labour and it’s not limited to teachers. Educational assistants, support staff, librarians and bus drivers are all needed to support the growing school district. MacLEAN said the problem is worsened by retiring staff and a static labour force.

"We have a need across all of our employee groups and we're not unique to any school district in this province, in this country, or any employer in this region or in the country," said MacLEAN.

The Anglophone East School District has a total budget of more than $230 million, up over $30 million from last year.

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